title: Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting cattle and African buffaloes in the Tsavo conservation area, Kenya.
abstract: Several ixodid tick species are shared between domestic cattle and African buffaloes  (Syncerus caffer). So too, are a number of tick-borne diseases. The aim of the study was to  compare the species composition of ticks that infest cattle and buffaloes utilising the same  habitat within the Tsavo Conservation Area, Kenya. To this end, 25 cattle and 62 buffaloes  were each opportunistically sampled for ticks on a single occasion in February 2010. Eight  species, namely Amblyomma gemma, Amblyomma lepidum, Hyalomma albiparmatum, Hyalomma  rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus pravus and Rhipicephalus  pulchellus infested both cattle and buffaloes. Three species,  Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) sp.,  Rhipicephalus kochi,  and  Rhipicephalus muehlensi were collected only from cattle, and three  species, Hyalomma impeltatum, Rhipicephalus humeralis and Rhipicephalus praetextatus were  present only on buffaloes. The attachment sites of the various tick species were also recorded.  New locality records for H. impeltatum and H. truncatum and the first confirmed locality record  for Rhipicephalus praetextatus sensu stricto in Kenya were documented.
authors: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria. ivan.horak@up.ac.za.
authors: Edward K
authors: EK
authors: Kariuki
authors: Barend L
authors: BL
authors: Penzhorn
authors: Ivan G
authors: IG
authors: Horak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000469:parasitology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*