HEMOGREGARINES AND SARCOCYSTIS SP (APICOMPLEXA) IN A WESTERN GREEN RAT SNAKE, SENTICOLIS-TRIASPIS-INTERMEDIA (SERPENTES, COLUBRIDAE), FROM NEW-MEXICO

A western green rat snake, Senticolis triaspis intermedia (Boettger, 1 883), was collected from southwestern New Mexico and examined for endo parasites. Gamonts of 3 different hemogregarines were found in erythro cytes, and oocysts and free sporocysts of a Sarcocystis sp. were prese nt in intestinal contents and feces. Measurements of small, medium, an d large forms of intraerythrocytic gamonts were 12.8 x 3.4 (10.4-14.4 x 2.8-4.2) mum (N = 20), 17.0 x 4.0 (16.0-18.4 x 3.2-4.8) mum (N = 20) , and 17.8 x 7.4 (16.0-20.0 x 6.2-8.8) mum (N = 20), respectively. Spo rocysts of the Sarcocystis sp. were 12.7 x 10.6 (12.0-13.6 x 10.0-11.2 ) mum (N = 20) and had a shape index (length/width) of 1.20 (1.07-1.24 ). Although anecdotal information is available on parasites of E. tria spis intermedia, this is the first documentation of detailed informati on.