ABSTRACT
Cryptosporidium spp. in lower vertebrates appears to consist of several species. Reports of the genus Cryptosporidium in snakes and lizards, where Cryptosporidium ameivae, Cryptosporidium crotali, Cryptosporidium Ctenosauris and Cryptosporidium Lampropeltis were named as new species, are either nomen nuda or species of Sarcocystis. The valid report of the genus in lower vertebrates appears to be in 1977, when the parasite was reported to be the causative agent of severe, chronic, hypertrophic gastritis in 14 captive snakes. A Cryptosporidium sp. was reported from an 8-cm-long naso tang, Naso lituratus, purchased from a pet store in Ontario, Canada, as well as from another unnamed marine tropical fish. Cross-transmission data and studies of endogenous development are needed to determine if species of Cryptosporidium from lower vertebrates are capable of infecting higher vertebrates. In snakes, Cryptosporidium sp. has been reported to infect boids, colubrids, elapids, and viperids, localizing in the gastric mucosa.
