Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tick-crocodilian interactions: a review, with the first record of tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestation in the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and a concise host-parasite index

  • Published:
Experimental and Applied Acarology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Interactions between ticks and crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, caiman, and gharials) are poorly studied but may have significant bearing on the ecology and health of these reptiles. The first record of tick infestation of the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is reported along with the first case of infestation by Amblyomma cordiferum on Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus). A review is also provided of tick-crocodilian interactions with a concise host-parasite index.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta ICL, Martins TF, Nóbrega YC, Mantovani TC, Silva-Soares T, Santos MRD, Tadokoro CE, Labruna MB (2019) First record of Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing wild Caiman latirostris (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) in the Atlantic rainforest biome, Southeastern Brazil. Herpetol Notes 12(1):9–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Bidder LA, Asmussen KM, Campbell SE, Goffigan KA, Gaff HD (2019) Assessing the underwater survival of two tick species, Amblyomma americanum and Amblyomma maculatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 10(1):18–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brochu CA (2003) Phylogenetic approaches toward crocodylian history. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 31(1):357–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Charruau P, Pérez-Flores J, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, Gonzalez-Solis D, González-Desales GA, Monroy-Vilchis O, Desales-Lara MA (2016) Occurrence of Amblyomma dissimile on wild crocodylians in southern Mexico. Dis Aquat Organ 121(2):167–171

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de la Fuente J (2003) The fossil record and the origin of ticks (Acari: Parasitiformes: Ixodida). Exp Appl Acarol 29(3):331–344

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dinets V, Britton A, Shirley M (2014) Climbing behaviour in extant crocodilians. Herpetol Notes 7(1):3–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmone AA, Robbins RG, Apanaskevich DA, Petney TN, Estrada-Peña A, Horak IG (2014) The hard ticks of the world. Springer, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ho TM, Ismail SA (1984) Life cycle of the tick Amblyomma cordiferum Neumann under laboratory conditions. Malayan Nat J 38(1):73–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwak ML (2018a) The first records of human infestation by the hard tick Ixodes (Endopalpiger) australiensis (Acari: Ixodidae), with a review of human infestation by ticks in Australia. Exp Appl Acarol 74(2):185–190

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kwak ML (2018b) Ticks in the Lion City: a preliminary review of the tick fauna of Singapore. Exp Appl Acarol 76(2):263–267

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kwak ML, Griffiths J, Barry D, Begent M, Hoang T, Taafua L, Chiovitti A (2017) The first DNA barcodes for the Australian platypus tick Ixodes ornithorhynchi Lucas, 1846 (Acari: Ixodidae) to facilitate conservation efforts for a declining parasite and its host. Acarologia 58(4):845–849

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwak M, Somerville C, van Nunen S (2018a) A novel Australian tick Ixodes (Endopalpiger) australiensis inducing mammalian meat allergy after tick bite. Asia Pac Allergy 8(3):e31

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kwak ML, Hsu CD, Douay G, Ahmad AA (2018b) The first authenticated record of the pangolin tick Amblyomma javanense (Acari: Ixodidae) in Singapore, with notes on its biology and conservation. Exp Appl Acarol 76(4):551–557

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kwak ML, Lee L, Hsu C-D (2019) First record of the hog louse Haematopinus suis (Insecta: Phthiraptera) in Singapore, and its implications for the emergence and spread of zoonosis and wildlife disease. Nat Singap 12(1):11–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Labruna MB, Camargo LMA, Terrassini FA, Ferreira F, Schumaker TT, Camargo EP (2005) Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from the state of Rondônia, western Amazon, Brazil. Syst Appl Acarol 10(1):17–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane RS, Poinar GO Jr (1986) First fossil tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in new world amber. Int J Acarol 12(2):75–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Main AR, Bull CM (2000) The impact of tick parasites on the behaviour of the lizard Tiliqua rugosa. Oecologia 122(4):574–581

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morais DH, Strüssmann C, de Carvalho VT, RibeiroRA Kawashita (2010) First record of Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing Paleosuchus palpebrosus Cuvier, 1807 (Reptilia: Crocodylidae), in the western border of Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Herpetol Notes 3(1):133

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumann LG (1899) Révision de la famille des ixodidés (3e mé moire). Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France 12:107–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Peñalver E, Arillo A, Delclòs X, Peris D, Grimaldi DA, Anderson SR, Nascimbene PC, Pérez-de la Fuente R (2017) Ticks parasitised feathered dinosaurs as revealed by Cretaceous amber assemblages. Nat Commun 8(1):1924

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rainwater TR, Platt SG, Robbins RG, McMurry ST (2001) Ticks from a Morelet’s crocodile in Belize. J Wildl Dis 37(4):836–839

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seebacher F, Grigg GC, Beard LA (1999) Crocodiles as dinosaurs: behavioural thermoregulation in very large ectotherms leads to high and stable body temperatures. J Exp Biol 202(1):77–86

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seijas AE (2007) Heridas y parásitos en cocodrilos del Orinoco (Crocodylus intermedius) en un río altamente impactado por actividades humanas. Interciencia 32:56–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Smallridge C, Paperna I (1997) The tick-transmitted haemogregarinid of the Australian sleepy lizard Tiliqua rugosa belongs to the genus Hemolivia. Parasite 4(4):359–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soares de Almeida R (2006) Trypanosoma sp. (Protozoa: Kinetoplastida), em Caiman yacare (Crocodilia: Alligatoridae), no Pantanal de Mato Grosso do Sul—Região Miranda Abobral. MSc thesis, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande

  • Terenius O, Mejlon HA, Jaenson TGT (2000) New and earlier records of ticks (Acari:Ixodidae, Argasidae) from Guinea-Bissau. J Med Entomol 37:973–976

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker AD (1995) First record of parasitism by a tick on an Australian freshwater crocodile. Mem Queensl Mus 38(1):686

    Google Scholar 

  • Villiers A (1955) Note sur quelques Ixodidae et Gamasidae parasites des vertébrés rencontrés en Afrique Occidentale Française. Bull Inst Française d’Afrique Noire Sér A 17:444–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Voltzit OV, Keirans JE (2002) A review of Asian Amblyomma species (Acari, Ixodida, Ixodidae). Acarina 10:95–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis PM (1993) Trilophosuchus rackhami gen. et sp. nov., a new crocodilian from the early Miocene limestones of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland. J Vert Paleontol 13(1):90–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore

    Mackenzie L. Kwak

  2. Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Dr, Singapore, 117377, Republic of Singapore

    Maosheng Foo & Kate Pocklington

  3. Department of Conservation, Research and Veterinary Services, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore, 729826, Republic of Singapore

    Chia-Da Hsu & Webster Cheong

  4. National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, 259569, Republic of Singapore

    Choon Beng How, Mishak Shunari & Muhammad Ghufran Tahir

Authors
  1. Mackenzie L. Kwak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maosheng Foo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kate Pocklington
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chia-Da Hsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Webster Cheong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Choon Beng How
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Mishak Shunari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Muhammad Ghufran Tahir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mackenzie L. Kwak.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kwak, M.L., Foo, M., Pocklington, K. et al. Tick-crocodilian interactions: a review, with the first record of tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestation in the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and a concise host-parasite index. Exp Appl Acarol 78, 127–132 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-019-00378-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-019-00378-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation