Wild carnivores (Mammalia) as hosts for ticks (Ixodida) in Panama

This study reports ticks collected from wild carnivores from different habitat types in Panama. We examined 94 individual wild carnivores and we found 87 parasitized by ticks: seven coyotes, six crab-eating foxes, 54 coatis, four raccoons, five ocelots, two pumas, two gray foxes, two skunks, and one each of kinkajou, jaguar, jaguaroundi, greater grison and tayra. We identified 13 species of tick: Ornithodoros puertoricensis, Amblyomma auricularium, A. dissimile, A. mixtum, A. oblongoguttatum, A. ovale, A. parvum, A. pecarium, A. tapirellum, A. varium, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes affinis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and immatures of Ixodes and Amblyomma. Amblyomma ovale and A. oblongoguttatum were the most common species, found on nine and six carnivore species respectively. This is the first report of A. oblongoguttatum on Puma yagouaroundi and Procyon lotor; of A. dissimile, A. pecarium, A. tapirellum and A. varium on Nasua narica; and A. auricularium on P. lotor. Our data do not enable us to establish incidence of tick parasitism, but add valuable information to the current knowledge of the tick species that infest wild carnivores in Panama.