Hard ticks on one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) and their seasonal population dynamics in southeast, Iran

The primary objective of this study was to determine the diversity and intensity of ticks found on camels ( Camelus dromedarius ) and their seasonal population dynamics in Kerman, southeast of Iran. For this purpose, a total of 426 tick specimens were collected from 217 infested camels in southeast of Iran during activating seasons of ticks (April 2009 to March 2010). The species collected from camel were Hyalomma dromedarii (84.7%), Hyalomma marginatum (8.7%), Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum (5.4%), and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (1.2%). The highest seasonal activities occurred in summer. The ratio of male ticks was more than female ticks. H. dromedarii was the predominant tick species and accounted for 84.7% of the ticks.