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

Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research

Pierre J. Nel¹  Duncan N. MacFadyen²  Ivan G. Horak³  David V. Cooper⁴  Dean Peinke⁵  Alan Harrison⁶  J. Werner Kilian⁷  Danny Govender⁸  David Zimmermann⁹  Guy Hausler^1,10  Markus Hofmeyr^1,10  Christoper M. Foggin^1,11  Christiaan R. Boshoff^1,12  David Squarre^1,13 

[1] Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Bloemfontein;Department of Research and Conservation, E Oppenheimer & Son;Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria;EKZN Wildlife, St Lucia;Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency, East London;Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen;Okuakuejo Rest Camp, Etosha National Park;Scientific Services, SANParks, Skukuza;Veterinary Wildlife Services, SANParks, Port Elizabeth;Veterinary Wildlife Services, SANParks, Skukuza;Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, Victoria Falls;Wild Game, Gravelotte;Wildlife Veterinary Unit, Zambia Wildlife Authority;

关键词: White rhinoceroses;    Black rhinoceroses;    Ixodid ticks;    Regional distribution;    Conservation status;    Southern Africa;   

DOI  :  10.4102/ojvr.v84i1.1301

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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 northeastern 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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown