Infestation of Royal Python (Python regius) with ticks Amblyomma hebraeum in Ibadan Zoo, Nigeria

Abstract

The Python/Boa Family is found in most part of tropics. It is a highly domesticated pet and can easily be handled (Cansdale 1962). Snakes are commonly infected by ticks more importantly the hand bodied ticks (Fowler, 1986).However, under captive condition, ticks usually exert a lot of burden on their hosts being carriers of disease causing pathogens (Soulsby 1982, Radostits et al, 2000). These ticks also produce focal ulcerating skin lesions at the point of their attachment to the skin (Fowler, 1986).

Amblyomma hebraeum (bout ticks) occur frequently in warmer part of South, Central Africa and is parasitic in many domesticated and wild mammals. The young stage also attacks birds (Soulsby, 1982). A. hebraeum is a three host tick that usually attaches in the perianal and gential region of it's host and may produce bad wounds. These ticks are also very resistant to dipping especially in adult stage (Ojeh and Dipeolu, 1986 Soulsby 1982). It was a common theme that parasites of wild animals were so perfectly adapted to their host that under natural condition they would not cause disease (Davis and Anderson, 1971). This phenomena must have informed the reason why there is a dearth information on the incidence of A. hebraeum in royal python.


(Tropical Veterinarian: 2003 21(1): 38-41)