Abstract:
Ixodid ticks were collected from 104 wild carnivores belonging to 23 species in various nature reserves
and on several farms in all nine provinces of South Africa. Seven feral cats in a nature reserve were
also examined. Twenty-four tick species belonging to seven genera were recovered and identified.
Amongst these ticks we consider the adults of Haemaphysalis leachi, Haemaphysalis spinulosa,
Haemaphysalis zumpti, Ixodes rubicundus, Rhipicentor nuttalli, Rhipicephalus simus and Rhipicephalus
turanicus to be true parasites of wild carnivores. Although numerous adult Rhipicephalus
appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus zambeziensis were collected from some lions these were either
sick or old animals. The immature stages of seven species regularly utilized wild carnivores as hosts
on an opportunistic basis.
