Ticks parasitizing reptiles in the Bahamas.
Two species of reptile ticks, Amblyomma dissimile Koch and Amblyomma torrei Pérez Vigueras (Acari: Ixodidae), are reported from the Bahama Islands for the first time. The widespread neotropical (including the Caribbean and southern Florida) A. dissimile was recovered on Andros Island from three species of reptiles all for the first time: the Andros iguana Cyclura cychlura cychlura Cuvier, the Andros curly tail lizard Leiocephalus carinatus coryi Schmidt, and the Andros boa Epicrates striatus fowleri Sheplan and Schwartz. The iguana tick A. torrei, previously known only from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands, was recovered in the Exuma Islands from the Exuma iguana Cyclura cychlura figginsi Barbour. Mean numbers of ticks per host were as high as 36.6 on Mangrove Cay, Andros Island, and 25.8 on Pasture Cay in the Exuma Islands.
Durden
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Department of Biology, and Institute of Arthropodology & Parasitology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, U.S.A. ldurden@georgiasouthern.edu
Knapp
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D000818:Animals; D001444:Bahamas; D026863:Ixodidae; D012104:Reptiles / Q000469:parasitology*