Amblyomma sculptum ticks on a giant otter from the Brazilian Pantanal

Abstract

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a semiaquatic carnivore and a top predator in the trophic chain, considered a sentinel of freshwater ecosystems. Ticks are common ectoparasites of worldwide distribution and potential vectors of diseases. In this study, we report the ectoparasitism by ticks on a giant otter carcass found during monitoring activity at the Negro River, that holds a viable population of this endangered species in the Brazilian Pantanal. A total of three tick specimens were collected: two adults were identified as Amblyomma sculptum and a nymph as Amblyomma spp. There is a lack of information about the health of free-ranging giant otters and this report contributes to elucidate some of the host-parasite relationships, although much more research is needed to expand the knowledge about which kinds of pathogens are circulating in the species, especially among those transmitted by ticks.

Noteworthy records of the ticks Ornithodoros rostratus and Amblyomma sculptum parasitizing Pteronura brasiliensis in the central-western region of Brazil, with pathogen investigation notes

“…Likewise, A. sculptum is commonly found in the Pantanal and is reported here for the second time parasitizing the giant otter, which is a host little studied with regard to ectoparasites. Recently, in the same area, three specimens of A. sculptum were collected from a carcass of a giant otter that had been found dead, like in the present study ( Soresini et al, 2023 ). In addition to A. sculptum , a nymph of A. cajennense s. s. was found parasitizing an individual of P. brasiliensis in the Brazilian Amazon region ( Rosas et al, 2016 ).…”