Species of Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting Pikas from Alaska, U.S.A. and Northeastern Siberia, Russia

Authors

A. J. Lynch, University of New Mexico
Donald W. Duszynski, University of New MexicoFollow
Joseph A. Cook, University of New Mexico

Document Type

Article

Comments

Published in the Journal of Parasitology (2007) 93(5): 1,230-1,234. Copyright 2007, the American Society of Parasitologists. Use by permission.

Abstract

Eighty-eight fecal samples from 2 species of pika, Ochotona collaris and Ochotona hyperborea, collected in Alaska (N = 53) and Russia (N = 35), respectively, were examined for the presence of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Five oocyst morphotypes were observed. In O. collaris, we found Eimeria calentinei, Eimeria cryptobarretti, and Eimeria klondikensis, whereas in O. hyperborea, we found Eimeria banffensis, E. calentinei, E. cryptobarretti, E. klondikensis, and Isospora marquardti. This study represents new geographic records for all 5 coccidia and new host records for E. cryptobarretti and I. marquardti. Only minor quantitative differences were seen between the sporulated oocysts we studied and those reported in their original descriptions.