ARABIA; YEMEN (Sanborn and Hoogstraal 1953. Hoogstraal, ms.), 



HOSTS 



H. leachii leachll , in the adiilt stage commonly parasitizes 

 doraesTic dogs. Its local incidence on dogs varies from greater 

 to less than that of the kennel tick, R. s. ^sanguineus. Locally, 

 R. simus simus is sometimes also a common''parasite of dogs. On 

 wild animals, H. 1. leachii is frequently numeroios on the Canidae 

 (foxes, hunting dogs, and jackals). It is, in comparison with 

 the subspecies muhsami, rare on the various families of smaller 

 carnivores such as the viverrids, which are tropical Africa's 

 most common carnivores. On larger Felidae, lions, leopards, 

 cheetahs and the like, the subspecies leachii may occur in either 

 larger and smaller nttrabers than mxihsami but present data do not 

 suggest that the large cats are hosts of preference. Records 

 of H. 1. leachii from smaller cats and from domestic cats are 

 rare indeed . 



Domestic animals, other than dogs, are parasitized only 

 exceptionally. Under a very few local conditions cattle may 

 be attacked. Possibly tribal customs, in which man, cattle, 

 and dogs sleep in the same hut or compound, account for these 

 instances. 



Larvae and nymphs iisvially parasitize common field rodents, 

 especially Arvicanthis and Mastomys , in their nests. They are 

 said also to feed on domestic dogs (see BIOLOGY below). Rarely 

 one finds a few nymphs, along with considerably larger numbers 

 of adults, on wild canines. This would indicate that, under the 

 influence of some yet \anknown factors, nymphs have left rodent 

 burrows to feed elsewhere, or that an apparently small propor- 

 tion of the nympheJ. population does not feed on rodents. 



Inasmuch as it is impossible to distinguish which of the 

 two subspecies of H. leachii most authors are referring to, the 

 only data that may be used in this section are from the present 

 observations and those of the very few recent students who have 

 differentiated their material. A more exact study of available 

 data will be presented in a subsequent report. 



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