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4 June 2021 Prevalence of Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Parasitism on Pancake Tortoises, Malacochersus tornieri (Testudinidae), Is Lower Inside than Outside Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Reginald T. Mwaya, Rudolf Mremi, Abraham Eustace, Vedasto Ndibalema
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Abstract

In natural wildlife populations, parasite–host interactions are common ecological phenomena that can be important to community structure. We assessed the prevalence of tick infestation on pancake tortoises, Malacochersus tornieri, with respect to location (inside vs. outside Tarangire National Park [TNP]), tortoise age class, sex, season, site of attachment, and body condition index (BCI). Malacochersus tornieri hosted Amblyomma nuttalli, the tick that also parasitizes other sub-Saharan tortoises of the family Testudinidae. Using a generalized linear mixed model, we found tick infestation to be lower inside TNP than sites set outside TNP. Further, tick prevalence was positively correlated with carapace length and negatively so with BCI. Although observation of ticks siphoning M. tornieri from the carapace was infrequent, the observed rate was, nevertheless, higher than reported from other terrestrial tortoises in sub-Saharan Africa. These results are discussed.

© 2021 Chelonian Research Foundation
Reginald T. Mwaya, Rudolf Mremi, Abraham Eustace, and Vedasto Ndibalema "Prevalence of Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Parasitism on Pancake Tortoises, Malacochersus tornieri (Testudinidae), Is Lower Inside than Outside Tarangire National Park, Tanzania," Chelonian Conservation and Biology 20(1), 116-124, (4 June 2021). https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1438.1
Received: 12 February 2020; Accepted: 15 June 2020; Published: 4 June 2021
KEYWORDS
Amblyomma nuttalli
anthropogenic activities
Malacochersus tornieri
pancake tortoise
Tick burden
tick infestation
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