Ticks from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Ngamiland, Botswana

Abstract

In November 1972, 93 out of 100 African buffalo from 3 areas in Ngamiland, Botswana, were found to be infested with ticks. The tick species present and the percentage of buffalo infested by each were: Hyalomma truncatum (63%), H. rufipes (54% ), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (68% ), R. tricuspis (11 % ), R. simus (4%) and Boophilus decoloratus (1%). The mean number of ticks per animal was 8, 6 (standard deviation ±4, 1), representing a mean of 6, 5 ± 3 ,4 male and 2, 1 ± 1 ,9 female ticks. The incidence of infestation with H. truncatum and the number of ticks of this species on infested animals were lowest in areas where plentiful surface water was responsible for an increase in humidity.