Seven new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from colubrid snakes of Guatemala and a discussion of what to call ellipsoid tetrasporocystic, dizoic coccidia of reptiles.

During a survey of Guatemalan herpetofauna in the summers of 1998-2000, 29 presumed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 were found, seven of which have a distinct elongate-ellipsoidal shape (L/W ratio >or= 1.7) and are described herein. Six of the seven new species are similar in oöcyst length, width and L/W ratio and sporocyst length, width and L/W ratio, lack a micropyle, oöcyst residuum, Stieda body, sub-- and parastieda bodies, have a polar granule and sporocyst residuum, and their sporocysts appear to have dehiscence sutures. The seventh is slightly smaller and has sporocysts with a Stieda body. The new species are: E. coniophanes n. sp - whose sporulated oöcysts from Coniophanes fissidens are 29.2x14.9 (27-31x13-16) microm, with sporocysts 10.0 x 7.8 microm; E. coniophis n. sp. -from Conophis lineatus are 32.0x16.5 (30-34x14-18) microm, with sporocysts 10.2 x 8.9microm; E. dryomarchoni n. sp. - from Drymarchon corais are 32.2x17.7 (31-34x17-19) microm, with sporocysts 10.7 x 8.6 microm; E. leptophis n. sp. - from Leptophis mexicanus are 29.5x17.0 (28-31x16-18) microm, with sporocysts 10.0 x 9.1 microm; E. oxybelis n. sp. - from Oxybelis aeneus are 31.8x16.5 (29-33x15-18) microm, with sporocysts 10.3 x 8.8 microm; and E. scaphiodontophis n. sp. - from Scaphiodontophis annulatus are 30.0x15.3 (28-33x14-16) microm, with sporocysts 9.9 x 7.9 microm. Sporulated oöcysts of E. siboni n. sp. from Sibon nebulata are 24.3x14.2 (21-27x13-16) microm, with sporocysts 10.0 x 7.1 microm and with a Stieda body. We conclude that until all aspects of each life-cycle are known, it is prudent at this time to name all tetrasporocystic dizoic coccidia from snakes as members of Eimeria rather than place some of them in Choleoeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989.