Ticks

[Ray--Opo]

I saw a video online that showed a guy with a couple of 3 year old Galapagos tortoises. Not sure where he was located.
But each tortoise had 5 or 6 ticks on them.
He was showing how he removed the ticks. He mentioned that he had done it the week before also.
Living in Florida do I need to be concerned? I know in other states they are a big problem.
Does anyone have a problem with ticks?

 

[EllieMay]

I have a lot of ticks around my property. I think it’s due to so much wildlife coming through.. the squirrels alone are unmanageable... I pulled a tick off of my horses ear last week.. that being said, I have yet to find one on any of my tortoises.... ?‍♀️

 

[Tom]

I saw a video online that showed a guy with a couple of 3 year old Galapagos tortoises. Not sure where he was located.
But each tortoise had 5 or 6 ticks on them.
He was showing how he removed the ticks. He mentioned that he had done it the week before also.
Living in Florida do I need to be concerned? I know in other states they are a big problem.
Does anyone have a problem with ticks?

No you should not be worried. Most ticks are host specific. Mammal ticks are not going to get on to a reptile and do their thing. I saw that video too. The guy was making all sorts of mistakes. He had baby Galapagos tortoises with exposed yolk sacs in an outdoor enclosure on orchid bark substrate. So sad that some of the people who end up with magnificent tortoises have no clue what they are doing.

That video was the first time I've seen or heard of wild ticks getting on to a captive tortoise. I think it must be something restricted to southern FL which has become a melting pot of all sorts of species from all over the world.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

That video was the first time I've seen or heard of wild ticks getting on to a captive tortoise. I think it must be something restricted to southern FL which has become a melting pot of all sorts of species from all over the world.

If I remember correctly, about 20 years ago there was one location (at most two) in southern Florida where exotic ticks had taken up, and the premises was treated for ticks and basically quarantined until we could be sure the exotic ticks were eradicated. We were using at least one "sentinel tortoise" to check for ticks. I'm pretty sure it was a leopard.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hey Ray, this might be the video you watched.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

To clarify, by "exotic ticks" I refer to species primarily indigenous to Africa that were coming into the U.S. on imported reptiles (including some tortoises), circa 1999-2000, maybe a little after. Unlike our indigenous North American ticks, these exotic ticks are the size of a dime or larger (think nickel size for some of them) when fully engorged.

 

[Tom]

To clarify, by "exotic ticks" I refer to species primarily indigenous to Africa that were coming into the U.S. on imported reptiles (including some tortoises), circa 1999-2000, maybe a little after. Unlike our indigenous North American ticks, these exotic ticks are the size of a dime or larger (think nickel size for some of them) when fully engorged.

Yikes! That doesn't sound good at all. I had not heard of this before. Thanks for the info.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Hey Ray, this might be the video you watched.

Yes that was the video but it was much shorter. It only showed the Galapagos.

 

[Ray--Opo]

To clarify, by "exotic ticks" I refer to species primarily indigenous to Africa that were coming into the U.S. on imported reptiles (including some tortoises), circa 1999-2000, maybe a little after. Unlike our indigenous North American ticks, these exotic ticks are the size of a dime or larger (think nickel size for some of them) when fully engorged.

Thank you for the info. ?

 

[Ray--Opo]

No you should not be worried. Most ticks are host specific. Mammal ticks are not going to get on to a reptile and do their thing. I saw that video too. The guy was making all sorts of mistakes. He had baby Galapagos tortoises with exposed yolk sacs in an outdoor enclosure on orchid bark substrate. So sad that some of the people who end up with magnificent tortoises have no clue what they are doing.

That video was the first time I've seen or heard of wild ticks getting on to a captive tortoise. I think it must be something restricted to southern FL which has become a melting pot of all sorts of species from all over the world.

While living in Michigan. I had a couple of beagles that I took to a trainer in Kentucky just over the Ohio border. When I came back they were covered with ticks. I was so mad. I wanted to kick his a$$. Good thing my buddy was there to talk me down. The ticks were the size of nickels.
Needless to say I didn't pay him.
Sounds like I don't need to worry.
Thanks Tom

 

[Ray--Opo]

If I remember correctly, about 20 years ago there was one location (at most two) in southern Florida where exotic ticks had taken up, and the premises was treated for ticks and basically quarantined until we could be sure the exotic ticks were eradicated. We were using at least one "sentinel tortoise" to check for ticks. I'm pretty sure it was a leopard.

Thank you, sounds like I need not worry.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yikes! That doesn't sound good at all. I had not heard of this before. Thanks for the info.

Oh surely you remember why the African tortoises were prohibited from import due to the tick problem.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

While living in Michigan. I had a couple of beagles that I took to a trainer in Kentucky just over the Ohio border. When I came back they were covered with ticks. I was so mad. I wanted to kick his a$$. Good thing my buddy was there to talk me down. The ticks were the size of nickels.
Needless to say I didn't pay him.
Sounds like I don't need to worry.
Thanks Tom

I hope you're exaggerating on the size of those ticks.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Amblyomma marmoreum is the African tortoise tick. Amblyomma sparsum is another exotic tick of interest. I think it was the latter that had to eradicated from the facility in Florida almost two decades ago.

We have plenty of indigenous Amblyomma tick species of our own here in North America, and they transmit all sorts of diseases that don't bode well for humans and a number of other warm-blooded animals. That being said, the kinds of things they transmit are not likely to affect cold-blooded tortoises.

 

[Jacqui]

We have ticks here. I actually find more on me, then on the dogs and cats combined, even keeping myself sprayed with bug sprays. I have found a couple of the tortoises. Not many, not often, maybe one every couple of years.

 

[Tom]

Oh surely you remember why the African tortoises were prohibited from import due to the tick problem.

I remember that being the alleged justification for trampling our freedom, but I don't remember anyone I know, including 4 different importers, ever seeing a single tick. I don't doubt that there was a tick somewhere at some time, but it certainly wasn't like we were swimming in them and needed a 100% ban on all importation of leopards and sulcatas forever.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I remember that being the alleged justification for trampling our freedom, but I don't remember anyone I know, including 4 different importers, ever seeing a single tick. I don't doubt that there was a tick somewhere at some time, but it certainly wasn't like we were swimming in them and needed a 100% ban on all importation of leopards and sulcatas forever.

I agree, forever is a long time. Too long, all things considered. I worked for the state veterinarian's office back then. There were exotic ticks that came into Florida on imported reptiles that entered through Miami. It didn't happen for long, though, because as soon as it was explained to the importers that the ticks were a problem, the importers started making sure that the ticks were removed from those animals before the animals were even shipped to the U.S. Problem solved (basically), as far as we were concerned. Our office did not always agree with decisions and policies set forth at the federal level (and occasionally we got called out for it).

 

[Ray--Opo]

I hope you're exaggerating on the size of those ticks.

Not at all. When they were full of blood that was the size. I gasped when he took my beagles out of the cage. I think the whole time they were there he never took them out of the pen. They sure weren't trained any better.

 

[Ray--Opo]

I wonder if @ALDABRAMAN or @ZEROPILOT have a problem with ticks?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Not at all. When they were full of blood that was the size. I gasped when he took my beagles out of the cage. I think the whole time they were there he never took them out of the pen. They sure weren't trained any better.

You don't happen to remember what year that was, do you?