AUTHOR=Máca Ondřej , González-Solís David 

TITLE=Sarcocystis moreliae sp. nov. in the imported green tree python Morelia cf. viridis (Reptilia, Pythonidae)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1211522

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1211522

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Species of <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> use various vertebrates as intermediate or definitive hosts in their life cycles. One of these is snakes, whose role as intermediate hosts for these protozoans is scarce; in fact, there are six records, but only three with molecular characterization. An imported green tree python was involved in the morphological and molecular characterization (four loci) of a new species of <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> localized in skeletal muscles. <italic>Sarcocystis moreliae</italic> sp. nov. has a type 1 sarcocyst with a smooth wall and is genetically similar (at the <italic>18S</italic> rRNA gene) to two unnamed species of <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> found in <italic>Lytorhynchus diadema</italic> from Oman and <italic>Varanus salvator macromaculatus</italic> from Malaysia, but their detailed comparison is impossible. The new species showed lower similarity to its congeners in other loci (<italic>28S</italic> rRNA, ITS1, and <italic>cox1</italic>). This is the first morphological and genetic characterization of a <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> species in snakes of the genus <italic>Morelia</italic>, particularly <italic>M. viridis</italic>, using four loci, but more data are needed to fill the knowledge gap about snakes as intermediate hosts of <italic>Sarcocystis</italic>.</p>