The oral microbiota of Patagonian lizards of genus Diplolaemus (Polychridae): A preliminary study

IBARGUENGOYTIA NORA R.; PHIL S. BIRD, FRANCISCO A. UZAL AND ANA L. CIPOLLA.

CUADERNOS DE HERPETOLOGíA

ASOCIACIÓN HERPETOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Tucumán; Año: 2005 p. 37 - 41

0326-551X

Palabras clave: Diplolaemus, lagartijas, microbiología, enfermedades.Lizards of genus Diplolaemus (Leiosauridae) from Patagonia, Argentina are believed to have “poisonous” bites that can cause inflammation and death of farm and wild animals. However there is no evidence of poisonous glands in these lizards. It is proposed that the inflammation and abscesses resulting from these bite wounds are caused by infectious agent(s). This is the first study of the oral microbiota of Diplolaemus lizards from Argentina. One specimen of D. darwini and three individuals of Diplolaemus "forma alto patagonica" were used for the present work. Swabs were taken from the mouths of the lizards, subcultured onto 5% sheep blood agar plates, incubated at 37oC for 48 hours aerobically and anaerobically.  All representative colonies observed were subcultured for purity and subjected to conventional biochemical tests. Isolates identified as Clostridium perfringens  were typed by a polymerase chain reaction technique. Four species of bacteria were identified as Staphylococcus warneri, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium bifermentans and Stomatococcus muscilaginosus. These species are known etiologic agents of a number of human and animal infections. While these bacteria represent only a small number of possible isolates from the oral cavity of Diplolaemus species nevertheless it indicates that human and animal pathogens are present in their oral cavity.