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RODENT LA (RODENTS)

The paucity of tick specimens from Equatoria Province rodents is of particular interest since several thousand savannah inhabiting rodents were examined under conditions most likely to retain ecto parasites and reveal them after sacrificing the animals. Many rodents found to be infested in Equatoria Province are from the limited collections from mountains and high altitude forests, riparian brush and forests, and stands of trees and shrubs in and about villages. In other parts of East Africa, findings have been similar relative to rate and type of infestation of rodents. Although African rodents are generally reputed to harbor numerous ticks, it appears evident that a large number of savannah species do not conform with this generalization. The ubiquitous field rodents such as Arvicanthis and Lemniscomys are frequently para sitized by the nest inhabiting immature stages of H. 1. leachii and R. s. simus but seldom by other ticks.

Theiler's (1949) observations in South Africa are similar. She reports: "It has always been taken for granted that the numerous species of our field mice serve to feed the immature stages of all those ticks of which the adults only are to be found on our domestic stock. Thus far the tick survey, in it self still very incomplete, does not bear out this assumption. Our field mice are extraordinarily free of parasites - as I know from personal trapping experience and as Dr. Roberts and Mr. Davis will bear me out. The numbers present on individual mice, and on the mouse population in general, in no way correspond with the number of adults found on the large herbivores and carnivores".

It is significant that in desert and semidesert areas from northern Africa to the Far East where Hyalomma and Ornithodoros ticks are common, rodents are the most important hosts of im mature stages of both genera and also of adult Ornithodoros.

FAMILY SCIURIDAE

HELIOSC TURUS GAMBIANUS HOOGSTRAALI Setzer, 1954. Hoogstraal's
Gambian Tree Squirrel.

Ticks are rare on tree squirrels and the two male R. s. sanguineus on hosts at Ikoto and Torit were taken in close proximity of villages.

EUXERUS ERYTHROPUS LEUCOUMBRINUS (Ruppell, 1835). Light-sided
Ground Squirrel.

All stages of the specific parasite of ground squirrels, H. houyi, infest a good proportion of these common animals on the east bank of Equatoria Province. Specimens were taken during the dry season at Kapoeta, Torit, and Latome. Six nymphs of A. variegatum were also found on a ground squirrel at Torit.

EUXERUS ERYTHROPUS LACUSTRIS (Thomas, 1905).

A specimen examined at Yei was infested by a nymph and a male H. houyi.

FAMILY CRICETIDAE

TATERA BENVENUTA BENVENUTA (Hinton and Kershaw, 1920). Benvenuta Tatera.

Tatera gerbils, although numerous in the Torit vicinity, yielded only fifteen nymphs of R. s. simus and two of H. 1. ?leachii. Two burrows of these animals yielded eleven nymphs four females, and five males of the former species. The adult ticks were unengorged.

TATERILLUS EMINI EMINI (Thomas, 1892). Emin's Lesser Tatera.

These are about as common as the Benvenuta Tatera but no ticks were found on them. Approximately a hundred of each of these tateras were examined.

FAMILY MURIDAE

GRAMMOMY'S MACMILLANI ERYTHROPYGUS Setzer, 1956. Red-rumped
Arboreal Rat.

Upwards of seventy arboreal rats examined in and around Torit were not infested, however, a nymph tentatively identified as A. cohaerens was taken on a host at Obbo.

ARVICANTHIS NILOTICUS JEBELAE Heller, 1911. Southeastern Sudan
Kusu or Grass Rat.

Large numbers of this rodent, possibly the most common one in Torit and Juba Districts, yielded only a few nymphs of H. 1. ?leachii and R. s. simus. However, burrows examined during the dry season at Juba and Torit were inhabited by fairly large numbers of nymphs and recently molted, unfed adults of the same tick species.

LEMNISCOMYS MACCULUS MACCULUS (Thomas and Wroughton, 1910). Striped Grass Mouse.

Four nymphal R. s. simus were taken from this uncommon mouse at Torit.

LEMNISCOMYS STRIATUS MASSAICUS (Pagenstecker, 1855). Masai Striped Grass Mouse.

The Masai striped grass mouse is exceedingly common in eastern Equatoria Province and many were examined. A small number of im matures of R. s. simus were found on a few grass mice and in the nests of others. A nymphal H. aciculifer was also taken on a grass mouse at Torit.

MASTOMYS NATALENSIS ISMAILIAE (Heller, 1914). Ismailia Multimammate Rat.

Two multimammate rats infested by a few nymphs of Ixodes nairobiensis were found at Torit and in Lotti Forest. This tick was not found on other mammals in the Sudan. At Torit and Ikoto two hosts yielded a few immature R. s. simus. Over a hundred other multimammate rats examined in Torīt, Juba, and Eastern Districts were free of ticks.

PRAOMYS TULLBERGI SUDANENSIS Setzer, 1956. Lotti Forest Soft-furred Rat.

This rat inhabits higher altitudes of Torit District. Four specimens in Lotti Forest were infested by a few immature ticks representing H. aciculifer, H. 1. ?leachii, R. s. simus, and R. ?arnoldi. No ticks were found on twenty-two other specimens In Lotti Forest.

ACOMYS HY STRELLA Heller, 1911. Nimule Spiny Mouse.

Many spiny mice representing various species and subspecies were unsuccessfully examined in eastern Equatoria but at Nimule eight specimens of A. hystrella yielded a few immatures of A. brumpti and H. 1. ?leachii.

FAMILY GLIRIDAE

GRAPHIURUS MURINUS SUDANENSIS Setzer, 1953. Sudan Dormouse.

It is interesting to note that no dormice, which are common in village trees, huts, and houses in Torit District, were infested by ticks.

FAMILY THRYONOMY IDAE

"MARSH RAT".

Several adults of R. simpsoni, the specific parasite of cane rats, also known as marsh rats or edible rats, from Yei are present in Sudan Government collections.

THRYONOMYS GREGORIANUS SUBSP. Cane Rat.

A single male R. simpsoni was found on a cane rat at Torit. The few other cane rats examined there were brought in dead by tribespeople, which may have accounted for the absence of ticks on them.

CARNIVORA (CARNIVORES)

Infestation density ranging from light to fairly heavy but representing only a very limited number of tick species and sub species is a feature of carnivores in Equatoria Province and in most of East Africa and southern Africa. In West Africa the

variety of carnivore infesting ticks is frequently somewhat greater.

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FAMILY CANIDAE

Available data tend to indicate that H. leachii leachii favors members of this family over all other carnivores. It is certainly more numerous on canines than H. leachii muhs ami, not only in Equa toria Province but elsewhere in Africa.

CANIS AUREUS SOUDANICUS Thomas, 1903. Sudanese Jackal.

The Sudanese jackal is numerous around Torit village but only twelve were examined for ticks. H. leachii leachii was represented by 183 adults and one nymph, H. leachii muhsami by four adults, R. sanguineus sanguineus by 53 adults, R. simus simus by 33 adults, R. pravus by a single female, and A. variegatum by five nymphs and two larvae.

CANIS MESOMELAS ELGONAE (Thomas, 1914).

Elgon Black-backed Jackal.

A single black backed jackal from Yubo was infested by 36 adult H. 1. leachii. On two Torit specimens, a male of the same subspecies and three adults of R. s. sanguineus were found.

LYCAON PICTUS SOMALICUS Thomas, 1904. Somali Hunting Dog.

Five pairs of adult R. simus senegalensis were collected from a Somali hunting dog at Nimule.

FAMILY MUSTELIDAE

MELLIVORA CAPENSIS ABYSSINICA Hollister, 1910. Ethiopian Ratel or Honey Badger.

The only specimen known from this Province yielded three adults of H. leachii muhs ami and fourteen of R. s. simus.

FAMILY VIVERRIDAE

GENETTA TIGRINA AEQUATORIALIS Heuglin, 1866. Equatorial Genet.

Five Torit hosts were infested by two pairs of adult R. s. sanguineus, three adult H. leachii muhsami, and a larval A variegatum. Several other genets in Torit District were free of ticks.

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