IXODID TICK INFESTATIONS OF WILD BIRDS AND MAMMALS ON A GAME RANCH INCENTRAL PROVINCE, ZAMBIA

Ticks were collected at irregular intervals from December 1995 to Nove mber 1996 from wildlife on Mtendere Game Ranch in the Chisamba Distric t of Central Province, Zambia. Total collections were made from two sp ecies of ground-nesting birds and 20 species of small and large mammal s. Thirteen species/subspecies of ixodid ticks were recovered. Rhipice phalus appendiculatus was the most abundant, followed by Boophilus dec oloratus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi. Small numbers of immature ticks of only a few species were collected from the birds and rodents. The lagomorphs carried large numbers of predominantly immature R. app endiculatus. Most of the ungulates harboured several tick species and had high infestations of R, appendiculatus. The seasonal abundances of Amblyomma variegatum, B. decoloratus, R. appendiculatus and R. everts i evertsi were determined.