Abstract
A total of 586 reptiles, belonging to 35 species and five subspecies, were examined in surveys aimed at determining the species spectrum and geographic distribution of ticks that infest them. Of these reptiles 509 were tortoises, 28 monitor or other lizards, and 49 snakes. Nine ixodid tick species, of which seven belonged to the genus Amblyomma, and one argasid tick, Ornithodoros compactus were recovered. Seven of the ten tick species are parasites of reptiles. Amongst these seven species Amblyomma marmoreum was most prevalent and numerous on leopard tortoises, Geochelone pardalis; Amblyomma nuttalliwas present only on Bell's hinged tortoises, Kinixys belliana; and most Amblyomma sylvaticum were collected from angulate tortoises, Chersina angulata. Amblyomma exornatum (formerly Aponomma exornatum) was only recovered from monitor lizards, Varanus spp.; most Amblyomma latum (formerly Aponomma latum) were from snakes; and a single nymph of Amblyomma transversale (formerly Aponomma transversale) was collected from a southern African python, Python natalensis. All 30 Namaqualand speckled padloper tortoises, Homopus signatus signatus, examined were infested with O. compactus. The seasonal occurrence of A. sylvaticum and the geographic distribution of this tick and of A. marmoreum, A. nuttalli, A. exornatum, A. latum and O. compactus are illustrated.
Highlights
Reptiles in southern Africa are hosts of several species of ixodid ticks (Theiler 1962)
The latter ticks have recently been placed in the genus Amblyomma and are designated Amblyomma exornatum, Amblyomma latum and Amblyomma transversale
Trated ticks of ‘the Amblyomma marmoreum group’, and colour illustrations of Amblyomma hebraeum and A. marmoreum have been published by Walker & Olwage (1987)
Summary
Reptiles in southern Africa are hosts of several species of ixodid ticks (Theiler 1962). The majority of these ticks belong to the genus Amblyomma, of which nine species, including three species that belonged to the former genus Aponomma ( Amblyomma), occur in South Africa (Walker 1991). Theiler (1943, 1945a, b) has published illustrations of Amblyomma sylvaticum and of the ornate and inornate. The latter ticks have recently been placed in the genus Amblyomma and are designated Amblyomma exornatum, Amblyomma latum and Amblyomma transversale XLVII trated ticks of ‘the Amblyomma marmoreum group’, and colour illustrations of Amblyomma hebraeum and A. marmoreum have been published by Walker
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