HOSTS* 



Most prominently listed as hosts of all stages of R. appendicu- 

 latus by most authors are cattle, but domestic goats, sTieep, horses, 

 mules, donkeys, and dogs axe also commonly listed. The comparative 

 incidence on these animals has seldom been carefully observed. The 

 brown ear-tick appears to feed more readily on cattle than it does 

 on sheep, according to Worsley (1950). A single male has been re- 

 ported from a domestic chicken (Lucas 195A). 



Wild antelopes and buffalo are frequently reported, and nu- 

 merous other animals are infested on occasion. Wild carnivores 

 appear to be parasitized only rarely. 



Larvae and sometimes nymphs feed on medium-small animals such 

 as hares and cane rats, and may also attack man. Mostly, however, 

 they are known from the same larger size hosts as adults. The 

 question of why some larvae and nymphs choose smaller hosts de- 

 serves further investigation. 



In connection with the account of noninf estation of yoiing anta- 

 lopes (below), it is of interest that Binns (1951) has reported that 

 calves tied to trees in the Lela District of Kenya were attacked 

 within two days after birth. Although these calves harbored only 

 one or two ticks during the first week, four to ten ticks infested 

 them after a fortnight. At the end of the month, over twenty 

 brown ear-ticks were feeding on some calves. Afterwards, the coxznt 

 fluctuated considerably but averaged weekly 12.9 adult ticks per 

 animal for six calves for three months. This was a lower average 

 than for freely grazing older animals (but "adequate to provide a 

 reasonable exposure to East Coast fever"). 



Adult Hosts (only wild animals listed ) 



Antelopes ; Death of waterbuck due to heavy infestation (Hutchins 

 1917) . Most of the following antelope hosts have been reported by 

 several authors. Uganda kob (Warburton 1913). Nyala, kudu (Bed- 

 ford 1932B, Santos Dias 1952D). Impala (Bedford 1932B. Santos Dias 

 1952D. Meeser 1952). Bushbuck, waterbuck (Bedford 1932B). Sable 

 antelope, Livingstone's suni, steenbuck, klipspringer (Jack 1942). 



*The matter of domestic animal hosts will be treated in the forth- 

 coming volume on disease relations of African ticks. Numerous addL- 

 tional host records are provided in the APPMDIX. 



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