Helminth fauna of Valentin’s Lizard Darevskia valentini (Boettger, 1892) (Squamata: Lacertidae) collected from central and eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

In this study, we assessed the helminth fauna of seventy two Valentin’s Lizard, Darevskia valentini (32♂♂, 35♀♀, 5 subadult). Specimens collected from Kayseri, Ardahan and Van Provinces in Turkey. As a result of the present study, it was detected that forty one hosts are infected with one or more species of helminth. Two species of Cestoda, Oochoristica tuberculata and Mesocestoides spp., and 5 species of Nematoda, Spauligodon aloisei, Skrjabinodon alcaraziensis, Skrjabinodon medinae, Skrjabinelazia hoffmanni and Strongyloides darevsky were found in the hosts. D. valentini represents a new host record for all helminths recorded. Skrjabinodon alcaraziensis is recorded for the first time from Turkey. Van, Kayseri and Ardahan are new locality records for all helminths from D. valentini.

Keywords

• darevskia valentini
• cestode
• nematode
• turkey