Our knowledge, at all levels of information, on the relationships of ticks with wild fauna is sparse. There is a need for greater understanding of these facets if we are to understand the transmission of disease to wild vertebrates. The following levels of information required are outlined: (a) the behaviour of the ticks on the host before feeding, (b) the feeding process, (c) the host reaction at the level of tissue response, (d) parasite induced resistance mechanisms of the host to repeated tick infestation, (e) the temporal occurrence of ticks, (f) the regulating factors controlling tick populations, (g) the population dynamics of the host and (h) the susceptibility of hosts to trans-species transmitted pathogens.