Survey of Cryptosporidium spp. detection in endangered ground geckos, Goniurosaurus spp. (Squamata: Eublepharidae) in Japan, with a preliminary assessment of cloacal swab sampling.

Kuroiwa's ground geckos (Goniurosaurus spp.) are endangered species endemic to the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, but the role of infectious diseases in their wild populations remains unclear. This study investigated the occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in wild Goniurosaurus populations to provide baseline epidemiological information and preliminarily evaluated cloacal swab sampling as an alternative to fecal collection, given the low recovery rate of fecal samples in the field. Cryptosporidium varanii was detected at two of ten sites of G. kuroiwae (2/23 individuals) and at two sites of the Aka Island population of G. sengokui (2/13 individuals), whereas no infection was detected at any of the eight surveyed sites of G. orientalis. Given that C. varanii can cause severe clinical effects in Eublepharidae geckos, the presence of C. varanii in wild Goniurosaurus populations may represent a potential health concern. Cloacal swab sampling enabled the testing of a greater proportion of individuals under field conditions. However, further validation is required due to the limited sample size. These findings provide baseline epidemiological information on Cryptosporidium infection in endangered Japanese Goniurosaurus geckos and suggest that cloacal swab sampling may serve as a practical adjunct to fecal examination in wildlife health surveillance.