The coccidia of quail in the United States.

Abstract

Intestinal contents from 12 scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), 10 bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), 20 harlequin quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), 35 California quail (Lophortyx californicus), 15 Gambel's quail (Lophortyx gambelii), and 29 mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus) were examined for coccidian oocysts. Only 18 (14.9%) of 121 birds had coccidian oocysts in their feces at the time of collection; these included 9 L. californicus and 9 O. pictus. Four eimerians and an isosporan were found in the 18 infected birds. Eimeria lophortygis and E. okanaganensis had been previously described from L. californicus, but were also seen in O. pictus. Eimeria crusti sp. n. and Eimeria oreortygis sp. n. are described from O. pictus; E. oreortygis was also found in L. californicus. Broadly ellipsoid oocysts of E. crusti had a rough outer wall, were 26.0 X 21.2 (24-28 X 20-23) microns, and contained ovoid sporocysts 15.7 X 7.5 (14-18 X 7-8)microns. Micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent but a polar granule, sporocyst residuum, Stieda and substieda bodies were present. Slightly ovoid oocysts of E. oreortygis had a smooth outer wall, were 24.4 X 18.7 (21-28 X 17-23) microns, and contained ovoid sporocysts 14.1 X 7.21 (13-16 X 6-9) microns. Micropyle and polar granules were absent but a small oocyst residuum, large sporocyst residuum, Stieda and substieda bodies were present. Oocysts of an isosporan were found and compared to oocysts of Isospora lacazei isolated from sparrows in a previous study.