COMPOSITION OF HELMINTH COMMUNITIES IN MONTANE AND LOWLAND POPULATIONS OF THE WESTERN FENCE LIZARD, SCELOPORUS-OCCIDENTALIS FROM LOS-ANGELES-COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Five hundred seventy-two Sceloporus occidentalis from Los Angeles Coun ty, California, were examined for helminths: 200 from the San Gabriel Mountains (montane, ca. 1584 m elevation) and 372 from the Puente Hill s (lowland, ca. 150 m elevation). The component helminth community of the montane fence lizard population consisted of four species: two spe cies of cestodes, A Mesocestoides sp. and Oochoristica scelopori and t wo species of nematodes, Physaloptera retusa and Spauligodon giganticu s. The component helminth community of the lowland fence lizard popula tion contained three species: Mesocestoides sp., Physaloptera retusa a nd unidentified nematode acuariid larvae. The two helminth communities are dissimilar in composition.