Determinants of prevalence and co-infestation by ecto- and endoparasites in the Atlas day gecko, Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus, an endemic species of Morocco

The present work was undertaken to investigate the occurrence of ectoparasites (mites and ticks) and endoparasites (haemogregarines and helminths) in the Atlas day gecko, Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus (Boettger, 1874), a high-altitude Moroccan endemic lizard. The study examinated also the effect of some host parameters (age, sex, size, body condition), in addition to the season and altitude on the prevalence and intensity of parasite infestations. The study was conducted in three localities from May to September 2019. The results indicated that 35% of juvenile geckos were found to be parasited by one type of parasite. Contrarily, up to three types of parasites were detected in the adults. The prevalence of mite infestations was 48.02%, with a mean intensity of 11.80 ± 15.69. The patterns of mite infestations was found to be mainly related to the altitude, while the prevalence and intensity of infestations were linked to the host size, and to the sex and season, respectively. Larvae and nymphs of Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) were the only life stages infesting geckos, with a prevalence and mean intensity of infestations of 4.41% and 2.2 ± 1.48, respectively. The tick infestations observed were mainly related to the season. The prevalence and intensity of haemogregarine infections were, respectively, 7.92% and 0.24 ± 0.15. The altitude was found to be the only factor associated with this infection. This study also revealed the presence of one helminth genus, Spauligodon sp., with a prevalence and mean intensity of 12.33% and 1.46 ± 0.88, respectively. Spauligodon infestations was significantly associated with age, host size and altitude. This finding represents the first citation of this parasite in Quedenfeldtia genus. Our study indicated that there was no significant relationship between parasite load and geckos body condition, which suggested a stable interaction between the gecko and its parasites. However, it showed a difference of infection between the localities, which could be in relation with habitat conditions.