Ornithodoros gurneyi

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Ornithodoros gurneyi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Ixodida
Family: Argasidae
Genus: Ornithodoros
Species:
O. gurneyi
Binomial name
Ornithodoros gurneyi

Ornithodoros gurneyi, a kangaroo soft tick, is a species of the

argasid family.[2]
A parasite found in arid regions of Australia, the species occurs on red kangaroos, lizards and people.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Cecil Warburton in the journal Parasitology, published in 1926.[1]

Behaviour

Ornithodoros gurneyi is mostly known as a parasite of the red kangaroo (

Osphranter rufus) and wallabies. The life cycle includes three to five instar stages before progressing to an adult. When not attached to a host, it resides in the soil of caves and the wallows made by kangaroos beneath shady trees. An investigation of its anecdotal reputation for biting humans reported one verified instance along with other records.[3]
In addition to mammal species, O. gurneyi is known to occur on the reptilian species
Pogona barbata (a bearded dragon) and Tiliqua rugosa (shingleback or bobtail lizard). A study of bobtail lizards in captivity found the animal was a suitable host for this species, surviving and moulting, and may have a role in their dispersal to new sites.[4]

References

  1. ^
    ISSN 1469-8161
    .
  2. ^ "Ornithodoros gurneyi Warburton, 1926". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  3. ISSN 1877-959X
    .
  4. ISSN 1877-959X
    .
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