Nannizziopsis pluriseptata-Associated Skin Lesions in a Shingleback Skink (Tiliqua rugosa) and Spiny-Tailed Skinks (Egernia depressa) in Australia
by
, , , and
Victor A. Palma Jauregui
1, 
Stephanie Shaw
2,
Jana Schader
3,
Richelle G. Butcher
4,
Rachael Clark
5,
Timothy H. Hyndman
6 and
Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo
5,*
1
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
2
Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre, Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Moggill, QLD 4070, Australia
3
Avifauna Vet, Bulli, NSW 2516, Australia
4
Biodiversity Health Research Team, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
5
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
6
School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13020162
Submission received: 10 December 2025
/
Revised: 28 January 2026
/
Accepted: 3 February 2026
/
Published: 6 February 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wildlife Health and Disease in Conservation—2nd Edition)
Simple Summary
Emerging fungal diseases are a growing concern for the health of free-living reptile populations. From these, Nannizziopsis species are noted as important pathogens associated with both skin and systemic disease. This case series describes skin lesions associated with Nannizziopsis pluriseptata, in captive native Australian skink species of unknown origin from two different states. It also provides a review on the clinical, pathological and diagnostic features of this emerging pathogen, currently of unknown impact to Australian herpetofauna.
Abstract
Both captive and free-living reptiles are susceptible to infection by fungi from the Nannizziopsis genus and are prone to developing severe lesions that can affect skin and deeper tissues, becoming multi-systemic. With Australia having close to 1000 reptile species—of which 93% are endemic—the prevalence, distribution and susceptibility of reptiles to this emerging fungal infection remain unknown. In this case series, captive skinks originating from the states of Queensland and Western Australia were presented to wildlife veterinarians with dermatitis. Nannizziopsis pluriseptata was identified via fungal isolation, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and sequencing, confirming the first record of this pathogen in the country.
