Blood parasites of Free State and Lesotho reptiles

English: The study of blood parasites of reptiles is a relatively new and unexplored field of research in South Africa. The Free State province and the Lesotho highlands provide a range of reptiles in which their intraerythrocytic parasite fauna were explored. Objectives of this study were to set a baseline of blood parasite diversity and to identify the enigmatic Sauroplasma Du Toit, 1937 and Serpentoplasma Pienaar, 1954 infections in lizards and snakes, respectively. Surveys were conducted in various localities in the Free State and Lesotho. Although low in diversity, 204 specimens representing 14 species of lizards, and 59 specimens representing 13 species of snakes were investigated for the presence of blood parasites. Three known infections were found: Sauroplasma thornasi Du Toit, 1937, Sauromella haemolysus Pienaar, 1954 and Hepatozoon (Haemogregarina) sebae (Laveran and Pettit, 1909) Smith, 1996. These were redescribed and S. thomasii and H. sebae were examined by aid of transmission electron microscopy. The investigation led to the discovery of six new records and possibly new species of haemogregarines named Hepatozoon sp. A-F, four new records and possibly new species of lizard malaria named Plasmodium sp. A-D, and a viral infection possibly of the Pirhemocyton type. Furthermore nine new host and distribution records for Sauroplasma in lizards and nine for Serpentoplasma in snakes are described. Ultrastructural investigations of S. thomasi in Cordylus giganteus A. Smith, 1844, Serpentoplasma in Bitis arietans arietans (Merrem, 1820) and H. sebae in Python sebae natalensis (Gmelin, 1789) were the first to examine the nature of infections in this manner. This is the first comprehensive survey of the biodiversity of blood parasites in reptiles in the Free State and Lesotho highlands.