Prevalence and intensity of mites and haemogregarine blood parasites in the moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) from morocco: a comparative study of urban and natural habitats
摘要
The Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) has a broad geographic range, spanning Southern Europe and North Africa. Studies on this synanthropic gecko hold ecological importance as it continues to invade new habitats, displacing native biodiversity either as a competitor or as a vector of parasites. Despite its ecological relevance, research on its parasitic fauna remains limited. This study investigates the patterns of ectoparasite and haemoparasite infestations in T. mauritanica, focusing on habitat-related differences. A total of 59 geckos were collected from various sites in the Agadir region and examined in the laboratory. Ectoparasites were counted, and blood smears were prepared for the microscopic analysis of haemoparasites. Our results indicate that habitat type significantly affects the intensity of mite infestation, with geckos from natural habitats exhibiting a higher average parasitic load (39.5 ± 32.28) compared to their urban counterparts (6.26 ± 7.12). Haemogregarine infections also differed significantly, with geckos from natural habitats exhibiting a greater average parasitic load (71.36 ± 63.98) than those in urban habitats (26.24 ± 44.97). Interestingly, haemoparasites showed significantly higher prevalence in urban habitats despite exhibiting lower infection intensity, a pattern opposite to that observed for ectoparasites, where infection intensity was higher in natural habitats while prevalence did not differ significantly between habitat types. This contrasting pattern suggests that different ecological or physiological constraints shape host-parasite interactions across habitats. These findings underscore the complexity of parasite-host relationships in T. mauritanica and highlight the impact of habitat on both ecto- and haemoparasite dynamics.