n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) in Eurasian Red Squirrels ().

spp. are common protozoan pathogens in mammals. The diversity and biology of in tree squirrels are not well studied. A total of 258 Eurasian red squirrels () from 25 and 15 locations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, respectively, were examined for spp. oocysts and specific DNA at the , actin, 70, , , and loci. Out of 26 positive animals, only juveniles (9/12) were microscopically positive (18,000 to 72,000 OPG), and molecular analyses revealed the presence of sp. ferret genotype in all specimens. Oocysts obtained from naturally-infected squirrels measured 5.54-5.22 μm and were not infectious for laboratory mice (BALB/c and SCID), Mongolian gerbils, Guinea pigs, Southern multimammate mice, chickens, or budgerigars. None of naturally infected squirrels showed clinical signs of disease. The frequency of occurrence of the ferret genotype in squirrels did not vary statistically based on host age, gender or country of capture. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences from six loci revealed that sp. ferret genotype is genetically distinct from the currently accepted  species. Morphological and biological data from this and previous studies support the establishment of sp. ferret genotype as a new species,   n. sp.