Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XLIX. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting white and black rhinoceroses in southern Africa.

Ivan G Horak,Markus Hofmeyr,David Zimmermann,Pierre J Nel,Dean Peinke,Christiaan R Boshoff,Danny Govender,Christoper M Foggin,David Squarre,J Werner Kilian,Alan Harrison,David V Cooper,Guy Hausler,Duncan N Macfadyen

doi:10.4102/ojvr.v84i1.1301

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to determine the species composition of ticks infesting white and black rhinoceroses in southern Africa as well as the conservation status of those tick species that prefer rhinos as hosts. Ticks were collected opportunistically from rhinos that had been immobilised for management purposes, and 447 white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) and 164 black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) were sampled in South Africa, 61 black rhinos in Namibia, 18 white and 12 black rhinos in Zimbabwe, and 24 black rhinos in Zambia. Nineteen tick species were recovered, of which two species, Amblyomma rhinocerotis and Dermacentor rhinocerinus, prefer rhinos as hosts. A. rhinocerotis was collected only in the north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal reserves of South Africa and is endangered, while D. rhinocerinus is present in these reserves as well as in the Kruger National Park and surrounding conservancies. Eight of the tick species collected from the rhinos are ornate, and seven species are regularly collected from cattle. The species present on rhinos in the eastern, moister reserves of South Africa were amongst others Amblyomma hebraeum, A. rhinocerotis, D. rhinocerinus, Rhipicephalus maculatus, Rhipicephalus simus and Rhipicephalus zumpti, while those on rhinos in the Karoo and the drier western regions, including Namibia, were the drought-tolerant species, Hyalomma glabrum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum and Rhipicephalus gertrudae. The species composition of ticks on rhinoceroses in Zambia differed markedly from those of the other southern African countries in that Amblyomma sparsum, Amblyomma tholloni and Amblyomma variegatum accounted for the majority of infestations.

Highlights

White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) were present from South Africa in the south to the coastal regions of north-eastern Africa in the north (Skinner & Chimimba 2005)
The tick species recovered from a total of 465 white and 261 black rhinoceroses across southern Africa, and the number of animals infested with each species are summarised in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, were collected from white rhinoceroses, with A. hebraeum present in the majority of collections, followed by D. rhinocerinus, Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma rufipes
Sixteen species were recovered from black rhinoceroses, and A. hebraeum was the most commonly

Summary

Introduction

White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) were present from South Africa in the south to the coastal regions of north-eastern Africa in the north (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). 19th century the last white rhinos were shot in Zimbabwe and Botswana, while in South Africa their numbers had declined to approximately 20–50 animals in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. Africa (Skinner & Chimimba 2005) Their numbers have steadily increased since and in 1961 the Natal Parks Board initiated a project on the relocation of rhinoceroses from the reserves under its control to the Kruger National Park and other state and provincially controlled reserves, as well as to privately owned reserves lying within the rhinos’ former distribution range. The number of white rhinos in South Africa exceeds 18 000, the ever-increasing rate at which they are being poached may soon surpass their birth rate

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