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Modry et al from the department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic have discovered a new Coccidian parasite from pygmy chameleons. In their study, the investigators searched the stools of 10 pygmy chameleons, Rampholeon temporalis, endemic to the Usambara Mountains region in northeastern Tanzania, for coccidian parasites.

The investigators have named the new species as Eimeria hajeki. They describe the sporulated oocysts of Eimeria hajeki n. sp. to be oval with a shape index (length/width) of 1.3 (1.2-1.4) and a 2-microm-thick rough, bilayered wall. The investigators have further reported the micropyle and polar granule to be absent in E.hajeki.

I hope this doesn't have anything to do with our forum pygmy problems....needs more research....I think coccidia are water-borne. Need to find out the symtoms of it. May be natural for the little guys to have them, hmmmmmmmmm. Does anyone know if stool checks include coccidia?

n/p

I was hoping you could translate it!!LOL. It just says they found a new form of an old parasite. I was just wondering if Vets check for these. I know we had coccidia in the water at the humane society where I used to work and it made all the dogs sick. If the vets dont know to look for it in the stool of a cham it could be a reason for some pygmy deaths.

When I had a stool test done on my veiled they found coccidia, so I know that it can be detected.

How much does a fecal exam generally cost? Can you just send it in the mail? that would be nice. Wish I had a microscope. I have to admit I have had my chams two months and havn't got a fecal exam yet.

I think between $15-20 is normal, I doubt you could send it in the mail unless you could keep it cold. I think they say that you need to get the sample in within about 48 hours or it won't be good. I am not totally sure on this but this info should be pretty close.

Thanx ronfinny! That will be alot for seven chams, hmmmmm. Is there a universal medicine that takes care of everything whether or not they have it? I know these are probably rediculous questions, but I am cheap. LOL.

what the &*(( does n/p mean? No Problem? I feel so dumb today, lol.

It took me a while to figure it out myself, but it means no post so you know when someone just leaves a small message in the title and there's nothing in the message section.

I never woulda guessed in a million years, thanx!!! That should make it easier, lol.

Interesting, very very interesting. I talked to a breeder of over 300 reptiles about coccidia after reading your post, and now I'm almost convinced that we have a nation wide case of coccidia in these little guys. She said that coccidia is very contagious, and will show no symptoms for weeks or even months, or basically until the host's immune system is weaker than normal. She said that laying eggs is a very stressful activity for many reptiles and that the immune system is deprived during and after laying. This would cause coccidia to strike and eventually take the life of the host if not treated properly. That would explain why the females are dying after laying, and the males seem to be fine; the males are probably infected with coccidia, but their immune systems are in check because they haven't had anything happen to them to cause the coccidia to strike. She said that coccidia is also VERY contagious to other reptiles, and even just as contagious to humans. Triggering coccidia may take as little as a nasty cut or a heavy period, to a flu or stomach virus. There are treatments for coccidia, but they could possibly be a death sentence to such a small creature as a pygmy chameleon. It is worth a shot to see how they fare with treatment, or else we will never overcome this parasite. The breeder also told me that coccidia is transferred into the eggs, and the hatchlings will be infected with it as well, causing early death or it could be dorment until a shock to the immune system (such as laying eggs) is in effect.

I strongly suggest that if you have stools from your pygmy chams that are at most 48 hours old, take them to a vet for a coccidia screening ASAP, we need to get to the bottom of this.

As for WC animals, they probably have the parasite and may seem healthy for a while, but during quarantine and de-worming, their immune systems could go through a shift and cause the coccidia to come into play.

I'd like to hear other's experiences with coccidia, because this seems like a very reasonable cause and it will take some work to rid our CB species of it.

And thanks to Alanvines for his commendable research.

-Brock

This WOULD explain Makeda's untimely demise at five months old. Possibly Kaiya's also if her immune system was already overtaxed. Do you know Brock if they are detectable through a normal microscope?

Sorry, I have no idea if they are detectable under a microscope. Your best bet is to go to a vet with some fresh poop from an infected or possible infected animal. Make sure not to touch it with bare hands, as it is contagious to humans.

-Brock