Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGAL INFECTIONS CAUSING DEATH IN LEOPARD GECKO’S (EUBLEPHARIS MACULARIUS) EGGS

Erwin Nugroho Indhi, Koesnoto Supranianondo, Sri Chusniati, Djoko Legowo, Suryanie Sarudji, Martia Rani Tacharina and Didik Handijatno

Abstract

Ten samples of Leopard gecko eggs contaminated by fungus were obtained from Pet Network Indonesia and several hobbyists in Surabaya using a purposive sampling technique. The sample selection were performed by looking at the presence of fungus attached to the egg shell indicates yellowish or reddish characteristics, bluish spots, and the presence of mycelium in the egg shell. Swabs were taken by swab technique and planted on natural media which was incubated at 25 oC for 4 days. The technique to identify the fungus were carried out using sticky tape taped to the surface of the colony which is then affixed to glass objects that have been given Lactophenol Cotton Blue staining. The data obtained were descriptively analyzed. The results indicate that from isolation and identification of fungus in leopard geckos’ (Eublepharis macularius) egg samples contains Fusarium sp., Cephalosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., and Aspergillus sp. on the surface of the dead eggshell. In sum, Geckos’ eggs have infected by several fungus causing death.