Helminths of some lizards of the Iberian Peninsula: bioindicators of the ecology of their hosts

Parasitological studies carried out for more than three decades have been compared in twelve of the species of lizards that inhabit Iberian Peninsula. The species studied exhibit different ecological strategies in distinct aspects of their way of life. The working hypothesis is that these different ecological characteristics of these hosts will condition the quality and quantity of their helminth communities. Several parameters of host helminth faunas have been compared, such as prevalence, intensity and abundance of infection, and Brillouin diversity index in order to establish similarities and differences between the parasitic communities of the different hosts. Indeed, there are notable differences among the species of saurian analysed. The food habits and the type of habitat occupied by the hosts are the main elements that can influence the conformation of their helminth faunas