Blood-Meal Sources and Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Coastal and Insular Triatomine Bugs from the Atacama Desert of Chile.

Mepraia parapatrica is one of the lesser known and less abundant sylvatic triatomine species naturally infected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. M. parapatrica lives in sympatry with T. cruzi-infected rodents, but only birds, reptiles, and marine mammals have been reported as blood-meal sources of this vector species by serology. The distribution range of this kissing bug overlaps with fishers' settlements and tourist areas, and therefore the study of the blood-meal sources of this triatomine species is relevant. Here, we determined the blood-meal sources of M. parapatrica by NGS or standard sequencing from a coastal mainland area and an island in northern Chile, and T. cruzi infection by real-time PCR. The blood-meals of. M parapatrica included 61.3% reptiles, 35.5% mammals (including humans) and 3.2% birds. Feeding on reptiles was more frequent on the mainland, while on the island feeding on mammals was more frequent. The presence of T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs and humans as part of the diet of M. parapatrica in both areas represents an epidemiological threat and potential risk to the human population visiting or established in these areas. Currently there are no tools to control wild triatomines; these results highlight the potential risk of inhabiting these areas and the necessity of developing information campaigns for the community and surveillance actions.

Diel and seasonal variations in the thermal biology of San Cristobal Lava Lizards (Microlophus bivittatus).

Thermal biology, and therefore energy acquisition and survival, of ectotherms can be affected by diel and seasonal patterns of environmental temperatures. Galápagos Lava Lizards live in seasonal environments that are characterized by a warm and wet period when reproductive activity is maximal, and cooler and drier period. With the use of radiotelemetric techniques to record lizard surface temperatures (Ts), we studied the thermal ecology of the San Cristóbal Lava Lizard (Microlophus bivittatus) during both the warm and cool seasons over two years. During the diel activity period and when operative temperatures exceeded Tset-min, at least on rock faces without canopy, 52% or less of the Ts observations fell within the laboratory-determined Tset range (36-40 °C). Therefore, lizards may have avoided very warm midday temperatures in shaded microhabitats and the lag times in changes in Ts values occurred as operative temperatures rose rapidly during late morning warming phase. Lizards effectively thermoregulated during a year with moderate warm season temperatures and during a cool season that was unseasonably warm. In contrast, lizards less effectively thermoregulated during the warmest and coolest years of the study. We did not detect intersexual differences in thermoregulation although males may thermoregulate less effectively than do females during the cool season although we were unable to detect significant differences using our nonparametric statistical techniques.

Potential role of lava lizards as pollinators across the Galápagos Islands.

Lizards have been reported as important pollinators on several oceanic islands. Here we evaluate the potential role of Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus spp.) as pollinators across their radiation. Over 3 years, we sampled pollen transport by 9 lava lizard species on the 10 islands where they are present, including 7 single-island endemics. Overall, only 25 of 296 individuals sampled (8.4%) transported pollen of 10 plant species, the most common being Prosopis juliflora, Exodeconus miersii, Sesuvium sp. and Cordia leucophlyctis. At least 8 of these plant species were native, and none were confirmed as introduced to the archipelago. Despite the low overall proportion of individuals carrying pollen, this was observed in 7 of the nine lizard species, and on 8 of the ten main islands (Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, Santa Cruz and Santiago), suggesting that this is a widespread interaction. The results reported here support the potential role of lava lizards as pollinators across their radiation, although they may represent a relatively modest contribution when compared with birds and insects. However, we cannot discard that lizards may be ecologically significant for particular plant species and ecosystems given the specific climatic condition and functional diversity of each island.

Haematology and biochemistry of the San Cristóbal Lava Lizard (Microlophus bivittatus).

The San Cristóbal lava lizard, Microlophus bivittatus, is one of nine species of lava lizards endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. No information presently exists about baseline health parameters for any of these species. We analysed blood samples drawn from 47 lizards (25 males and 22 females) captured at two locations on San Cristóbal Island. A portable blood analyser (iSTAT) was used to obtain near-immediate field results for total CO2, lactate, sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, glucose and haemoglobin. Standard laboratory haematology techniques were employed for differential white blood cell counts and haematocrit determination. Body temperature, heart rate and body measurements were also recorded. We found significant differences in haematocrit values between males and females. The values reported in this study provide baseline data that may be useful in detecting changes in health status among lava lizards affected by natural disturbances or anthropogenic threats. Our findings might also be helpful in future efforts to demonstrate associations between specific biochemical or haematological parameters and disease. Because there are several related species on different islands in the Galápagos archipelago, comparisons between populations and species will be of interest. Lay Summary:Haematology and biochemistry values of the San Cristóbal lava lizard Microlophus bivittatus, along with several other health parameters (morphometrics and temperature), are reported for the first time.

Reptiles terrestres de la isla San Lorenzo, Lima, Perú

Se reportan cuatro especies de reptiles terrestres, un gecónido (Phyllodactlus cf. microphyllus), dos lagartijas (Microlophus peruvianus y M. tigris) y una culebra (Pseudalsophis elegans) para la isla San Lorenzo, departamento de Lima, Perú. La lagartija de las lomas M. tigris y la culebra P. elegans son reportadas por primera vez para las islas del mar peruano. La presencia de lomas de herbáceas y la considerable extensión de la Isla San Lorenzo explicarían la considerablemente alta riqueza de especies de reptiles terrestres en esta isla.

We report four species of terrestrial reptiles, a geckonid (Phyllodactlus cf. microphyllus), two lizards (Microlophus peruvianus and M. tigris) and one snake (Pseudalsophis elegans) from San Lorenzo island, Departament of Lima, Peru. Herein, we report the first record of “Lomas lizard” M. tigris and the snake P. elegans in Peruvian islands. The presence of Lomas herbaceous and the considerable extent of San Lorenzo island can explain the relatively high species richness of terrestrial reptiles on the island.

Observaciones morfohistológicas del testículo y espermatozoides de Microlophus peruvianus (Lesson, 1826) (Sauria:Tropiduridae)

El presente trabajo proporciona información morfohistológica de los testículos y espermatozoides de 5 individuos de la lagartija peruana Microlophus peruvianus (Lesson, 1826), procedentes de Huaral, Lima (11º 26´S; 77º24´W); colectados durante el mes de setiembre de 2005. El trabajo de campo se combinó con el análisis de laboratorio de las gónadas. La longitud promedio hocico-cloaca fue de 91,3mm ± 13,655, encontrándose todos los individuos con gran actividad meiótica en la línea espermatogénica con un grosor del epitelio germinativo de 126,33 μm ± 0,092, lo que sugiere que el mes de colecta estaría dentro de su ciclo activo de reproducción. La línea espermatogénica presenta los tipos celulares típicos de la espermatogénesis: espermatogonias (3,544 μm ± 0,4513), espermatocitos primarios (4,864 μm ± 0,5292), espermátides (2,85 μm ± 0,4071); no se encontraron espermatocitos secundarios. La morfología y biometría del espermatozoide de M. peruvianus propone su importancia como valor taxonómico.

The present work provides morphological and histological information of the testicles and spermatozoon of 5 specimens of the Peruvian small lizard Microlophus peruvianus (Lesson, 1826), from Huaral, Lima (11º 26´S; 77º24´W); collected during September, 2005. The fieldwork was combined with the gonads analysis at the laboratory. The snout-sewer length average was 91,3mm ± 13.655; all specimens deals a great spermatogenic meiotic activity showing a germinative epithelium thickness of 126.33 mm ± 0.092, which suggests that the month of collect would be within its active cycle of reproduction. The spermatogenic cells present the typical cellular types of the spermatogenesis: spermatogonias (3.544 mm ± 0.4513), primary espermatocitos (4.864 mm ± 0.5292), spermatids (2.85 mm ± 0.4071); No secondary spermatocytes where founded. The morphology and biometry of the spermatozoon of M. peruvianus proposes its importance as taxonomic value.