Ectoparasite of Tupaia glis (Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from Lingai agricultural area, Terengganu

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate ectoparasite fauna on the common tree shrew [Tupaia glis (T. glis)] in Lingai agriculture area, Terengganu. MethodsThe sampling was conducted once a month with five consecutive days from November 2012 to February 2013. Five mammal cage traps (60 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm) and 30 rat cage traps (45 cm × 15 cm × 15 cm) baited with banana, salt fish or fleshy-grilled coconut were used. One line transect was built and each trap was set up along the line transect with 5 m intervals. Ectoparasite was collected by combing host's fur vigorously and kept in vials containing 70% ethanol. ResultsOut of 23 hosts examined, 20 individuals (87%) of T. glis in Lingai agricultural area were infested by three species of ticks and two species of mites. It was found that Laelaps echidninus showed higher mean intensity (5) as compared to the other ectoparasites. However, the prevalence was higher on Ixodes sp. (43.5%) though its mean intensity was among the lowest (1.9) from the rest. ConclusionsThis study provides useful information of ectoparasite fauna infesting T. glis in the agricultural area. It is important to have knowledge regarding what type of ectoparasite infests small animals in agricultural area, which in turn can assist responsible agencies to take precaution if epidemic outbreaks caused by tick-borne zoonotic diseases occur in the future.