Abstract
We collected 50 three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) from 9 counties of Arkansas and 4 counties of Oklahoma, and examined their feces for coccidial parasites. Nine of 24 (38%) turtles from Arkansas and 8 of 26 (31%) from Oklahoma were found to be passing oocysts of Eimeria ornata. This represents two new geographic distributional records for this coccidian. Measurements of individual isolates of E. ornate as well as morphological characteristics are provided with comparison to its original description and to another Terrapene coccidian, Eimeria carri. In addition, we noted an adelid pseudoparasite being passed by a single T. c. triunguis from Oklahoma that likely represents a parasite of arthropods.
Recommended Citation
McAllister, C. T.; Motriuk-Smith, D.; Seville, R. S.; Hudson, C.; Connior, M. B.; and Robison, H. W.
(2015)
"Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) of Three-toed Box Turtles, Terrapene carolina triunguis (Reptilia: Testudines), from Arkansas and Oklahoma,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 69, Article 15.
https://doi.org/10.54119/jaas.2015.6909
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol69/iss1/15
