ABSTRACT

A study was initiated to determine the prevalence of positive blood cultures, to identify the primary isolates and to assess possible sources of contamination in captive lizards. Fifty-eight blood cultures were made from 28 lizards from eight species belonging to the families Helodermatidae, Iguanidae, Scincidae and Varanidae. Bacterial growth was obtained from 51 of the 58 cultures (88%). More than one Clostridium species was present in 79% of all positive cultures. The four most common isolates in descending order of frequency were C. sordelli, C. innocuum, C. perfringens and C. difficile. A possible contamination source are spores imbedded deeply in the folds of the skin and scales at the venipuncture site. However, it is also possible that Clostridia are normally present in the blood of lizards without producing overt disease. The interpretation of positive cultures of blood samples taken from the tail of lizards should be made with caution as definitive evidence for disease.