TICK INFESTATION OF BABOONS (PAPIO URSINUS) IN THE NAMIB DESERT Author(s): C. Brain and R. Bohrmann Source: Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 28(2):188-191. Published By: Wildlife Disease Association DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-28.2.188 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7589/0090-3558-28.2.188

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Journal

TICK

INFESTATION

IN THE

NAMIB

C. Brain,12 and ‘Desert Ecological 2

OF BABOONS

Disease

1992, pp. 188-191 Association 1992

URSINUS)

Unit of Namibia, P.O. Box 1592, Swakopmund, University of the Witwatersrand, Medical School,

Road, Parktown, 2193 Veterinary Laboratory, Windhoek, Namibia 9000

heavily

28(2),

R. Bohrmann3

7 York

infested

Republic of South Africa Parasitology Section, Directorate

baboons (Papio ticks of the genus

Chacma

ABSTRACT:

Diseases, C Wildlife

DESERT

Research of Physiology,

Department

(PAPIO

of Wildlife

with

Veterinary

ursinus) living Rhipicephalus.

Namibia

9000

Services,

in an arid environment in Namibia were A survey to assess tick numbers and identity

was undertaken in the baboons’ habitat. It appears that there is a strong correlation between the number of ticks and the amount of time the baboons spend in an area. It is speculated that tick infestations were responsible for more than half (n = 18) of recorded infant deaths amongst these baboons.

Key

words:

Baboons,

ticks,

sp.,

Rhipicephalus

infant The

INTRODUCTION

mortalities, lower

of this

Previous

reports

festations, baboons

indicate

skin lesions and are rare (McConnel

that skin

tick

in-

The

1974;

Strum,

1987)

have

led

to sug-

gestions that count for this Consequently,

mutual grooming (Seyfarth, 1977; tick infestations

previously of mortalities

implicated as a major amongst baboons.

been

Chacma in

the

of the

(Papio dry

central

heavily assess

baboons

annually

Namib

infested the

number

areas within ducted, the here together idemiological

Desert,

with

ticks.

and

may

acSilk, 1987). have not

living

River

canyon

Namibia, A

identity

the baboons’ habitat results of which are with a discussion background.

MATERIALS

cause

ursinus)

Kuiseb

are

survey

to

of

at

ticks

was conpresented of the ep-

AND METHODS

The study group was the “lower troop” originally described by Hamilton (1985). It is one of three baboon troops that occupy partially overlapping linear ranges within the section of the Kuiseb River canyon that passes through the central Namib Desert (24#{176}00’S, 15#{176}00’E). The troops sition

had

time

budget.

15 individuals

at the

time

study.

vegetation consisted mainly of and Acacla eriloba trees and Salpersica bushes. Vegetation is abundant and dense in the down-river portions of the lower troops’ range but becomes progressively sparse and distantly spaced as one moves up into the middle and upper troops’ ranges (Hamilton et a!., 1976). Small residual water pools left after the short annual flood are a permanent feature within the middle and upper troops’ ranges but there is no permanent water in the lower troops’ range. The climate of the study area is moderate for a desert area with little seasonal temperature variation. The mean annual maximum and minimum temperatures measured at Gobabeb, the nearest first order weather station approximately 26 km west of the lower troops’ range are 29.5 C (2.3 SD) and 12.8 C (2.7 SD). The mean annual relative humidity is 50% and the mean annual rainfall 27.2 mm (Lancaster et a!., 1984). A tick collection was conducted for three days in June 1990 within the lower troops’ approximate 30 km linear range. This included a 7 km overlap zone with the middle troops’ range. A 1 m2 flannel cloth (flag) attached to one end of a 1.8 m wooden stick was dragged over vegetation at a slow walk for tick collection. Eight areas with similar plant cover, plant species composition and with similar physical features were selected for sampling within the baboons’ range. In each area, measuring approximately 500 m by 200 m, ten randomly chosen runs of 20 m each were sampled for ticks using the above mentioned “flag.” At the end of a 20 m stretch, ticks were picked off the cloth, counted and preserved in alcohol for later identification. For statistical purposes the mean number (and range) of ticks collected was calAcacl.a vadora

diseases of et a!., 1974).

Findings of a near absence of ticks on baboons (Kuntz and Myers, 1967; McConnell et al.,

troop

otitis,

are named according to the relative poof their adjacent ranges; lower, middle upper troops (Hamilton, 1985), with the

and lower troop occupying the most downriver range. The baboons are restricted to the canyon confines for food, water, shelter and sleeping cliffs.

188

canyon

albida

BRAIN

AND

BOHRMANN-TICK

INFESTATIONS

189

OF BABOONS

TABLE 1. The location within the baboon troops range (expressed in km upstream from the downriver limit of their range) where tick numbers were sampled, the median number and range (in parentheses) of ticks collected within an area and the number of days the baboons were observed to spend in those areas in the preceding 3 mo.

Median and

Km of range

Days in area

2

1.

FIGURE

male

Ticks

to the

attached

ear

of

an

adult

(in parentheses) of ticks collected

2

1(0-5)

7.6

17

9(0-53) 3(0-30)

9.4

15

13.4

2

1 (0-4)

17.2

18

5(0-57)

22.1

6

24.4

4

1 (0-8)

26.4

0

0(0-1)

1 (0-24)

baboon.

being culated for each area (n = 8) and correlated to the number of days the baboons had spent in that area over the preceding three months using Spearman’s Rank Correlation statistical procedure. Two regularly used baboon sleeping cliffs were searched for engorged ticks. Domestic goats, cattle and horses that occasionally feed in the downriver limits of the lower troops’ range also were frequently examined for ticks and any observed morbidity or mortality ascribed to tick infestation was noted. Post mortem examinations

and

tick

collections

were

carried

two adult male and one infant diately following their deaths. identified in the laboratory at

Research South oratory,

Institute,

the

Central Namibia.

on

baboon immeAll ticks were the Veterinary

Onderstepoort,

Africa, and Windhoek,

out

Republic Veterinary

of Lab-

median

of

ticks

shown =

days tation the

could

0.91,

in

n

spent

P

8,

in an

thereof.