First Report of a Hepatozoon sp. (Apicomplexa: Adeleina: Hepatozoidae) from Midland Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon pleuralis (Ophidia: Colubridae), from Missouri

Abstract

Intraerythrocytic hematozoans of the genus Hepatozoon (Miller, 1908) occur in the gamont stage in birds, mammals, and all groups of reptiles (Telford 2009). For example, one group of reptiles, the North American watersnakes of the genus Nerodia, are important hosts of a variety of these parasites (Gibbons and Dorcas 2004). The northern watersnake, Nerodia sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) has been previously reported to harbor He. sipedon Smith, Desser, and Martin, 1994 from Ontario, Canada (Smith et al. 1994; Smith and Desser 1998). However, another widely ranging subspecies, the midland watersnake, N. s. pleuralis (Cope, 1892), has not previously been reported as a host nor has any snake, to our
knowledge, been reported from Missouri with these hemoparasites. Here, we document, with photomicrographs and select measurements, the first report of a Hepatozoon sp. in N. s. pleuralis, as well as documentation, to our knowledge, from any ophidian host in Missouri. In addition, a summary of intraerythrocytic hematozoans of North American watersnakes and  swampsnakes is provided.