BLOOD PARASITES OF INDIAN TOADS

Though the amphibians are known to host a large number of parasites belonging to different phyla, little attention was given to study the haematozoan parasites of amphibians. During the ,early nineteenth century some stray reports are available viz., Shortt (1917) and Wenyon (1926) who worked on the trypanosomes and haemogregarines of Indian toads. Recently ~ay (1979a, b, 1980, 1982), Tiwari & Ray (1981) and Sinha (1979) published some papers on the blood parasites of Indian toads. No consolidated work has even been undertaken on this particular aspect. In this context, a brief account on the blood parasites known so far from the Indian toads is being dealt with in the present communication.


INTRODUCTION
Though the amphibians are known to host a large number of parasites belonging to different phyla, little attention was given to study the haematozoan parasites of amphibians.During the ,early nineteenth century some stray reports are available viz., Shortt (1917) and Wenyon (1926) who worked on the trypanosomes and haemogregarines of Indian toads.Recently ~ay (1979a, b, 1980, 1982), Tiwari & Ray (1981) and Sinha (1979) published some papers on the blood parasites of Indian toads.No consolidated work has even been undertaken on this particular aspect.In this context, a brief account on the blood parasites known so far from the Indian toads is being dealt with in the present communication.AimaZayanus were collected from different parts of India and examined for blood parasites.Peripheral blood was obtained from the finger tips on alternate days and at autopsy.'Impression' and 'Spread' preparations were made from liver, lungs, kidney and bone-marrow.Air-dried blood films and •organ imprints were fixed in 100% methanol and stained with Romanowsky type of stains.For microtome section the tissue of lung, liver, kidney and spleen were fixed in Bouin's fixative, followed by general histological techniques by Pearse (1960), and stained with iron-hematoxylin and eosin.
Measurements were obtained from the camera-Iucida drawing drawn on a graph paper (mm division) by counting the squares covered.The
Among the parasites dealt with so far Pirhemocyton sp. and a sheathed microfilaria are recorded for the first time from Indian toads.Moreover, F'G.I. HAEMOGREGARINA NUCLEOBISECAN.S. De8cription: These are intracorpuscular small rounded bodies measuring 1.5-2.0ttm in diameter.There is a round, central chromatin dot surrounded by thin layer of cytoplasm which sometimes becomes non-visible because the enlarged chromatin meterial covers the body.There may be 2-3 small associated unstained refractile globules but not always present.1'hese globules when present, are 1-2 pm in diameter.There is no remarkable change in the infected erythrocytes.
The same baemoflagella~e in B. stomaticus A sheathed microfilaria in the peripheral blood ' of B, .mela1~o8Uctus X 8S5 and B. himalayanu8 were examined of which the first 3 anuran hosts show the infection of Trypanosoma rotatorium (Mayer, 1843) and T. chattoni Mathis and Leger, 1911 MATERIAL AND METHODSFour hundred and seventy eight examples of toads comprising of 4 species viz., Bufo melanostictus, B. andersoni, B. 8tomaticu8 and B.

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(Ooft,CZuaed) ~& Volpoi, Goa, India.granular with striated myonemes ; Shortt, 1917od.The blood and tissue stages of Haemogregarina nucleobi8ecan8Shortt, 1917have also been observed in B. melanostictus and B. andersoni.A haemococcidia viz., Lan1cesterella buloni8Mansour and 110hammed, 1962has been recorded in a new host B. melanostictuB for the first time from Indian subregion.Two microfilariae both sheathed and unsheathed have also been observed in the blood of B~ melanostictus.Besides, some organisms of uncertain taxonomy viz., Pirhemocgton, Toddia and Oytamoeba have been found to infect B. melanostictu8, B. ander80ni and B. himalayanus.All those parasites 'have been enumerated in a table.