Coccidia (Protozoa: Eimeridae) of the herbivorous mole-rat, Spalax leucodon Nordmann

A survey of 96 herbivorous mole-rats, Spalax leucodon Nordmann, in Lalahan district of Ankara, Turkey, revealed the presence of 6 new species of coccidia. The species found, the shape and average length-width dimensions (in micrometers) of their oocysts, and the numbers of animals from which they were isolated were as follow: Eimeria lalahanensis sp. n., subspherical to ellipsoidal (20.3 X 12.5), from 10; Eimeria tuzdili sp. n., spherical to subspherical with radially striated oocyst wall, (20.5 X 16.5), from 3; Eimeria spalacis sp. n., ellipsoidal to cylindrical (16.3 X 9.8), from 90; Eimeria elliptica sp. n., ellipsoidal (14.3 X 10.1), from 8; Eimeria turkmenica sp. n., ellipsoidal (11.3 X 8.9), from 1; Isospora anatolicum sp. n., spherical (7.6 X 5.1), from 1 animal. The overall infection rate for 96 examined herbivorous mole-rats was 100%.