Diversity of Blastocystis subtypes in wild mammals from a zoo and two conservation units in southeastern Brazil.

The enteric protist Blastocystis is one of the most commonly parasite reported in humans and a variety of animal hosts worldwide. Regarding genetic diversity, at least 17 subtypes (STs) have been identified in mammals and birds, with eight of them (ST1-8) infecting both humans and animals. Recently, isolates from wild mammalian species have been genetically characterized, however data is still scarce, mainly in Latin America.

Water balance and locomotor performance in three species of neotropical toads that differ in geographical distribution.

Water availability in the environment is a fundamental factor in determining the limits of geographical distribution and the evolution of the physiological characters associated to water balance in anurans. In this paper, we compare some aspects of water balance and the sensitivity of locomotor performance to dehydration at different temperatures for three species of toads from the genus Rhinella, with different levels of dependence on forested environments. Results show patterns associated to interspecific differences in both geographical distribution and time of seasonal reproduction.