G-Oral microbiota of Brazilian captive snakes

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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.

V.15, n.1, p.54-60, 2009.

Original paper - ISSN 1678-9199.

Fonseca MG (1), Moreira WMQ (2), Cunha KC (3), Ribeiro ACMG (1), Almeida MTG (3)

(1) Parasitology and Zoology Laboratory, Piauí Federal University, Picos, Piauí State, Brazil; (2) Microorganism and Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Agrarian Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo State, Brazil; (3) Microbiology Laboratory, São José do Rio Preto Medical School, FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: The present work aimed to determine the oral microbiotic composition of snakes from São José do Rio Preto city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Ten snake species, comprising the families Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae and Viperidae, were submitted to microbiological examination of their oral cavity, which indicated positivity for all buccal samples. Gram-negative bacilli, gram-negative cocci bacilli, gram-positive bacilli and gram-positive cocci were isolated from the snakes. Among isolated bacterium species, the occurrence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in the buccal cavity of Crotalus durissus (Viperiade), Eunectes murinus (Boidae), Mastigodryas bifossatus (Colubridae) and Bacillus subtilis, common to oral cavity of Bothrops alternatus (Viperidae) and Phalotris mertensi (Colubridae), was detected. It was observed higher diversity of isolated bacteria from the oral cavity of Micrurus frontalis (Elapidae) and Philodryas nattereri (Colubridae), as well as the prevalence of gram-positive baccillus and gram-positive cocci. The composition of the oral microbiota of the studied snakes, with or without inoculating fangs, is diverse and also related to the formation of abscesses at the bite site in the victims of the ophidian accidents, and to pathogenic processes in the snakes that host these microorganisms.

KEY WORDS: venomous snakes, non-venomous snakes, oral cavity, bacterial isolation, captive snakes.

MARILUCE G. FONSECA, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, Rua Cícero Eduardo s/n, Junco, CEP: 64600 000, Picos, Piauí, Brasil. Email: marilucefonseca@ufpi.edu.br.