Tick Anatomy & Life Cycle
Ticks are classified as this type of parasite because they live on the external surface of the host.
What is an ectoparasite?
This tick is the major vector of heartwater in southern Africa.
What is the South African Bont Tick (Amblyomma hebraeum)?
A disease of ruminants caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium and transmitted by the South African Bont Tick.
What is Heartwater?
Parasites that live inside the body of their host.
What are endoparasites?
Animals become infected with many roundworms by ingesting these stages from contaminated vegetation.
What are infective larvae?
The six-legged stage that hatches from a tick egg.
What is a larva?
This tick commonly parasitizes tortoises, especially leopard tortoises.
What is the South African Tortoise Tick (Amblyomma marmoreum)?
This cattle disease, also known as redwater, is transmitted by the Blue Tick.
What is Bovine Babesiosis?
The most important group of gastrointestinal parasites in wildlife.
What are roundworms (Nematodes)?
This type of life cycle requires no intermediate host.
What is a direct life cycle?
The hard shield found on the dorsal surface of hard ticks.
What is the scutum?
This tick produces toxins that can cause paralysis in sheep and goats.
What is the Karoo Paralysis Tick (Ixodes rubicundus)?
A severe cattle disease caused by Theileria parva and transmitted by the Brown Ear Tick.
What is East Coast Fever?
The four major endoparasite groups covered in the module.
What are roundworms, flukes, tongue worms and tapeworms?
In an indirect life cycle, this type of organism is often required before the parasite can infect its final host.
What is an intermediate host?
The four stages in the life cycle of a hard tick.
What are egg, larva, nymph and adult?
This tick primarily infests domestic dogs and is commonly found in kennels worldwide.
What is the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)?
This serious viral disease of humans can be transmitted by Hyalomma ticks.
What is Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever?
Adult pear-shaped flukes are usually found in this compartment of ruminants.
What is the rumen?
Hookworm larvae migrate through this organ before returning to the intestines.
What are the lungs?
Hosts that are essential for adult ticks to obtain a blood meal and reproduce successfully.
What are maintenance hosts?
This widely distributed African tick is recognized by its distinctive red legs. Answer:
What is the Red-legged Tick (Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi)?
The Brown Dog Tick transmits this disease caused by Ehrlichia canis.
What is Canine Ehrlichiosis?
Tapeworm larvae found in muscles and organs are important because they can lead to this economic consequence.
What is meat condemnation?
High stocking densities and this management condition often lead to severe worm infestations in wildlife.
What is captivity?