Parasites of two co-occurring house gecko species, Hemidactylus frenatus and Gehyra mutilata from Central Sri Lanka

Abstract

Two house gecko species, the Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus (Schlegel, 1836) and the four-clawed gecko, Gehyra mutilate (Wiegmann, 1834) inhabiting urban areas in Kandy and Kegalle districts were examined to determine the types of ecto and endo parasites, their prevalence and intensity of infections. A total of 45 geckos from the two species were dissected after anesthetizing of which 21 individuals (47%) were infected with one or more parasites. Both host species were infected by helminthes such as the nematodes and a fluke species. In addition mites (Geckobia sp.) and an acanthocephalan (Acanthocephalus serendibensis), and ciliates were found only in H. frenatus. Although the two gecko species co-occur, some parasites show host specificity. Nematode infections (possibly Oxyuris infection) were the most common type with 29% prevalence. Although A. serendibensis has been previously described from an agamid, Ceratophora stoddarti, and two geckonids Cnemaspis kandiana and Cnemaspis tropidogaster from Sri Lanka, H. frenatus presents a new host record for A. serendibensis and occurred at high intensity of 5-10 worms per host. There were no parasites in the blood or body cavity of the geckos examined. More female geckos were infected with parasites than males (χ2=5.20, p<0.05). Although H. frenatus harboured parasites of all five groups while G. mutilate had only two groups, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of infections between the two species (χ2=1.16, p>0.05). None of the identified parasite species have a zoonotic potential.