“main ” — 2009/5/4 — 11:00 — page 199 — #1 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2009) 81(2): 199-206(Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences)ISSN 0001-3765www.scielo.br/aabc Hemoparasites of the genus Trypanosoma (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida

presented by LUIZ R. TRAVASSOS Wild animals are exposed to numerous pathogens, including hemoparasites. The Trypanosoma and hemogregarine group are frequently reported as parasites in anurans (frogs, tree frogs and toads). The identification of these hemopar-asites is usually made through stage observation of their morphology in the peripheral blood of the host. There are no studies, however, based on the biological cycle of these hemoparasites. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of hemogregarines and Trypanosoma spp. in anurans captured in the States of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul – Brazil and to perform the morphological and morphometric characterization of these hemopar-asites. The species of anurans examined were: Dendropsophus nanus, D. minutus, Leptodactylus chaquensis, L. podicipinus, L. labyrinthicus, L. fuscus, Bufo granulosus, B. schneideri, Phyllomedusa hypocondrialis, Trachi-cephalus venulosus, Scinax fuscovarius and Hypsiboas albopunctatus. Of the total of 40 animals studied, four (10%) were positive for hemogregarines and eight (20%) were positive for Trypanosoma spp. Hemogregarine gamonts showed variable morphology and, in addition to intra-erythrocytic forms, extra-erythrocytic forms were also observed. Extremely different forms of Trypanosoma were observed, as described in the literature, with the broad and oval form