Systematics of Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa) from Amphibians and Reptiles in Northcentral Texas

Between February 1986 and October 1988, 863 amphibians and reptiles were collected in northcentral Texas and examined for coccidial parasites. Thirteen percent of amphibians <26% salamanders, 11% frogs and toads) and 28% of reptiles (54% turtles, 25% snakes) harbored 20 previously described and 16 new species of coccidia; overall prevalence of infection was 176/863 < 20%). Sixteen Ambvstoma texanum were infected with Eimeria ambystomae which represents new host and geographic locality records for the coccidium. Forty anurans were found to be passing coccidia, including Pseudacris streckeri. Bufo valliceos and Gastrophryne olivacea. Four new species of coccidia were described from anurans and include Eimeria flexuosa. E. streckeri. Isospora dellcatus and I_. fraaosum. However, oocysts found in B. v.. valliceps were determined experimentally to represent pseudoparasites. Sixty-eight turtles were infected with coccidia, including Chelvdra serpentina, Kinoeternon flavescens. Pseudemvs texana. Terrapeng ornata and Trachemvs scripta eleoans. Fourteen eimerians (5 of which are described as new species) were found in turtles. The new species from turtles include Eimeria cooteri, E. ornata, E. Btvlosa. E. texana and E. trachemvdis. Interestingly, all 96 lizards examined were negative for coccidia. Fifty-three snakes including 11 colubrids and 1 viperld harbored coccidia of the genera Caryospora. Cryptosporidium. Eimeria and Sarcocystis: prevalence of infection was highest in 3 species of North American water snakes <Nerodia spp.). Seven new species of Eimeria were described from snakes, including E. conanti. E. lnfirmus. E. papillosum. E. rhombifera. E. serpenticola. E. striatula and E. tenuis. There was no preference for coccidia between the sexes of any hosts. Based on limited data from a single anuran host, prevalence was higher during wetter months of spring than in summer. In addition, prevalence was higher in aquatic and semiaquatic snakes than in truly terrestrial species. Preliminary data suggested that using host specificity data of coccidia may be a method of studying host phylogeny and coevolutionary relationships in thamnophiine snakes

Parasites of the Spotted Sucker, Minytrema melanops (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) from Arkansas and Oklahoma

During October 2015, March and April 2016 and again between March and April 2017, 15 Spotted Sucker (Minytrema melanops) were collected from sites in the Ouachita (n = 5), Red (n = 1), and St. Francis (n = 5) river drainages, Arkansas, and the Arkansas River drainage, Oklahoma (n = 4), and examined for protozoan and metazoan parasites. Found were Calyptospora sp., Myxobolus sp., Pseudomurraytrema alabarrum, Biacetabulum banghami, Penarchigetes oklensis, and Acanthocephalus sp. New host and distributional records are documented for these parasites

It\u27s Not Just Ferguson: Missouri Supreme Court Should Consolidate the Municipal Court System

The Missouri Supreme Court\u27s unprecedented decision to take control of Ferguson\u27s Municipal Court was based primarily on issues raised during sustained protest following the killing of Mike Brown and reports published by ArchCity Defenders and the Department of Justice. These reports highlighted racial disparity in traffic stops, excessive revenue generation, and excessive warrants and arrests and confirmed the lived experiences of poor and Black people in St. Louis: there is a racially discriminatory and profit-driven approach to law enforcement made possible only by the collaborative efforts of local government, police, and courts. These condemned practices are not unique to Ferguson. Rather, many St. Louis municipalities are demonstrably worse than Ferguson with respect to the highlighted factors. And while there have been legal victories5 in the past year, new legislation,6 and the sustained efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Supreme Com1 should seize the opportunity to bring meaningful and transformative change to the region by following the recommendation of the Ferguson Commission7, ArchCity Defenders, SLU Law Legal Clinics, Better Together, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, and the Organization for Black Struggle: Order the consolidation of our 81 courts into a full-time, professional regional court system

Selected Helminth Parasites (Cestoda, Nematoda) of Bobcat, Lynx rufus (Carnivora: Felidae), in Northeastern Arkansas

The bobcat, Lynx rufus is a relatively common Arkansas carnivore that ranges statewide. Although there is a great deal of information on the natural history of this species in the state, there have been few studies where parasites have been documented in Arkansas bobcats. Here, a single specimen was examined and found to be infected with a tapeworm, Taenia rileyi and 2 nematodes, Toxoascaris leonina and Toxocara cati. We document the first record of T. rileyi from Arkansas and the first report of T. leonina from a bobcat in the state

Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoon; Kinetoplastida: Trypanosoma) of Green Frogs, Rana clamitans (Anura: Ranidae) from Arkansas

The green frog, Rana clamitans, has been reported as a host of several hemoparasites, including trypanosomes and Hepatozoon spp. In Arkansas, however, there are no reports of any hemoparasites in R. clamitans nor from any other anuran from the state. We collected 9 green frogs from Polk County and blood was taken from their facial musculocutaneous vein in heparinized capillary tubes. Thin blood smears were also made and stained with DipQuick stain. Seven out of 9 (78%) R. clamitans were infected with hematozoans. Three (33%) were infected with an unknown species of Hepatozoon and 4 (44%) were infected with trypanosomes of 3 distinct morphologies. Mixed infections were found in 5 (56%) of the hosts. Here, we provide the first report of hemoparasites in R. clamitans from Arkansas, including morphometric data and photomicrographs of the infections

Novel Reproductive Data on Pealip Redhorse, Moxostoma pisolabrum (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), from Northeastern Arkansas

Little is known about the natural history of the Pealip Redhorse (Moxostoma pisolabrum), particularly on its reproductive biology in Arkansas. We examined 11 female M. pisolabrum collected in late February 2020 and 2021 from the Black River, Lawrence County. Egg mass (g) represented 9‒14% of the total weight of these gravid females. This is the first time information on female reproduction in this species has been reported from any population of M. pisolabrum in the state

Helminth Parasites of the Golden Topminnow, Fundulus chrysotus (Cyprinidontiformes: Fundulidae) from Desha County, Arkansas

During July 2019, 21 Golden Topminnows (Fundulus chrysotus) were collected from an oxbow lake in McGehee, Desha County, Arkansas, and examined for parasites. Found were 4 taxa of endoparasites, including 3 digeneans (Clinostomum marginatum, Homalometron sp., and Posthodiplostomum minimum) and a nematode (Spiroxys contortus). We document a new host record for S. contortus and the first report of parasites in F. chrysotus from the lower Mississippi River Drainage

New Distributional Records and Natural History Notes on Selected Fishes from Arkansas

This report documents new records on the distribution of selected fishes from Arkansas and provides notes on their natural history. We document new geographic records for 21 species within 8 families in 12 counties of the state. Most importantly we have included new records for fishes ranked S1, S2 or S3 in the state by NatureServe and several Species of Special Concern by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). Additional collections of fishes in the state will undoubtedly provide more records especially with the use of electroshocking devices as has been shown herein