In certain areas of Tanganyik:a, infestation of v/arthof^s and 

 other large mammals is well knovn in some quarters (Walton 1953). 

 Walton described a warthog burrow in which J^l hungry later-stage 

 nymphs and adults were found; stomach blood smears from these 

 gave a positive reaction to pig antisera, 0, moubata v;as also 

 discovered in three other warthog and porcupine burrows in foot- 

 hills of the Usambara Jtountains. Literally hundreds of nymphs 

 and adults emerged from the floor and ceiling to attack Walton 

 and a friend when they entered some of these burrows. Subsequent- 

 ly, specimens were found in six other burrows and in two hollow 

 baobab trees that were used from time to time as retreats by var- 

 ious kinds of animals. Smaller burrows in the Usambara Mountains 

 area, presumably belonging to the giant forest rat, Cricetomys 

 sp,, were uninfested, 



More recently in Tainganyika, Geigy and Mooser (1955) examined 

 55 burrows of warthogs, originally dug by antbears (Orycteropus 

 afer), and found eyeless tampans in eighteen of them"! '.lore than 

 1,200 tick specimens were collected from these retreats and an 

 additional one was taken on the body of a freshly shot warthog. 

 They also found the burrows of other icinds of mammals infested 

 in Kenya. 



In connection with Sudan specimens from warthog burrows (Hoog- 

 straal 1954B) (see also DISTRIBUTION IN SUDAN above), it is of 

 interest to note that these are from the '"Nile sponge" region that 

 becomes a vast lake during the rains. Just what the ticks do 

 during these floods should be worthy of investigation. 



Walton's (1953) records for porcupine (Hystrix sp. ) burrows 

 are noted above. Heisch (195AE) noted nymphs and adults in por- 

 cupine burrows in Kenya and found that they had fed on porcupine 

 blood. Geigy and Itooser (1955), also working in Kenya, did not 

 find ticks in a porcupine burrow that they examined but a nearby 

 hyena shelter was heavily infested. 



In South Africa (Theiler, unpublished), specimens of 0. moubata 

 have recently been taken from burrows of aardvarks or antbears, 

 Orycteropus afer , near Stockpoort in the Potgietersrust area. 

 Search for ticks in the retreats of these large, alirost hairless 

 animals will undoubtedly provide further interesting data. As 

 noted elsewhere, other workers have found eyeless tampans in bur- 

 rows originally dug by antbears but later occupied by warthogs. 



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