A Survey of Gopherus polyphemus Intestinal Parasites in South Florida

Gopherus polyphemus populations are diminishing throughout their range due
to urbanization, fragmentation, and poor management of habitats. Increased
population densities, poor habitat quality, and lack of fire may influence disease
transmission. Parasite roles within wild tortoise populations are largely unknown,
despite evidence these pathogens may pose health risks. This study provides a
baseline of gopher tortoise endoparasites across South Florida and reports on how
varying environmental and tortoise characteristics may affect endoparasite species
prevalence, approximate loads, and overall distributions. Tortoise fecal samples were
taken from five differing SF habitats. Seven species of intestinal parasites were
discovered from 123 tortoises. Identified parasites include endo-helminths such as
cyathostomes, pinworms, ascarids, flukes, and protozoans including Eimeria,
Cryptosporidium, and Amoeba species. Significant differences in parasite prevalence and loads were seen between sampling years, seasons, size classes, and sites,
however, overall parasite distributions suggest parasitism remains relatively
ubiquitous throughout most host and site characteristics.