V. Sanchis et al., Host-parasite relationships of Zootoca vivipara (Sauria : Lacertidae) in the Pyrenees (North Spain), FOL PARASIT, 47(2), 2000, pp. 118-122
The helminths infesting the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787)
, were studied with special attention to the relations between the number o
f nematodes, Oswaldocruzia filiformis (Goeze,1782), and the size, sex and a
ge class of the host. The possible seasonality of the parasite intensity an
d the relationship with the feeding habits of the host were also tested. He
lminth infracommunities of Z. vivipara were depauperate with lizards harbou
ring only two species, the trematode Plagiorchis molini (Lent et Freitas, 1
940) and the nematode O. filiformis. A positive correlation between host si
ze and the number of O. filiformis was found for female Z. vivipara. Howeve
r, no correlation was detected between intensity and sex or age class. The
feeding habits of Z. vivipara, the isolation of the population studied and
the low level of interaction with other reptilian or amphibian species are
suggested as the causes of the depauperate helminth infracommunities found
in this lacertid lizard.