ITS Sequence Analysis of Ophidascaris Baylisi from Burmese Pythons

Members of genus Ophidascaris are common parasitic roundworms in snakes that cause gastric granulomas, adenocarcinomas, intestinal obstruction, death, and serious economic losses in snakes and their products. To identify molecular marker of Ophidascaris baylisi from the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), we amplified internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence from this roundworm and analyzed their homology and phylogeny. The amplified ITS sequence length was 1140 bp, comprising the complete ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 sequences and a partial 28S sequence. The ITS1+ sequence was homologous (85.8% homology) to the related species Ophidascaris robertsi. The phylogenetic tree revealed a close genetic distance between O. baylisi and O. robertsi, which formed a separate branch within family Ascaridae clade. The results indicated that the identified ITS sequence could be a good molecular marker for further study on the molecular classification and genetic variation of Ophidascaris species.

FIRST REPORT OF Paenibacillus cineris FROM A BURMESE PYTHON (Python molurus bivittatus) WITH ORAL ABSCESS

We report a case of oral abscess caused by Paenibacillus cineris in a pet Burmese python. Microbiological and nucleic acid sequencing showed high similarity to the reference strain P. cineris (113XG30) isolated in China. Although Paenibacillus spp. are environmental bacteria, we highlight the importance of careful consideration of such unusual organisms in exotic reptiles.Key words: Paenibacillus cineris; python; pharyngeal abscessPRVO POROČILO O OSAMITVI Paenibacillus cineris IZ BURMANSKEGA PITONA (Python molurus bivittatus) Z ORALNIM ABSCESOMV članku je opisan primer oralnega abscesa, ki ga je povzročila bakterija Paenibacillus cineris pri hišnem burmanskem pitonu. Mikrobiološko in nukleinsko kislinsko zaporedje je pokazalo visoko podobnost z referenčnim sevom P. cineris (113XG30), izoliranim na Kitajskem. Čeprav spada Paenibacillus spp. med okoljske bakterije, lahko takšni neobičajni mikroorganizmi pri eksotičnih plazilcih povzročajo tudi zdravstvene težave in jim moramo posvečati pozornost.Ključne besede: Paenibacillus cineris; piton; žrelni absces

Challenges to a molecular approach to prey identification in the Burmese python,Python molurus bivittatus

Molecular approaches to prey identification are increasingly useful in elucidating predator–prey relationships, and we aimed to investigate the feasibility of these methods to document the species identities of prey consumed by invasive Burmese pythons in Florida. We were particularly interested in the diet of young snakes, because visual identification of prey from this size class has proven difficult. We successfully extracted DNA from the gastrointestinal contents of 43 young pythons, as well as from several control samples, and attempted amplification of DNA mini-barcodes, a 130-bp region ofCOX1. Using a PNA clamp to exclude python DNA, we found that prey DNA was not present in sufficient quality for amplification of this locus in 86% of our samples. All samples from the GI tracts of young pythons contained only hair, and the six samples we were able to identify to species were hispid cotton rats. This suggests that young Burmese pythons prey predominantly on small mammals and that prey diversity among snakes of this size class is low. We discuss prolonged gastrointestinal transit times and extreme gastric breakdown as possible causes of DNA degradation that limit the success of a molecular approach to prey identification in Burmese pythons.