''Ixodes tasmani'',

colloquially Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversa ...

known as the common marsupial tick, is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

species of hard-bodied

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

. It is a common vector for certain

pathogens In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a ger ...

. There are around 70 species of

ticks Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

found in Australia, 16 of which, ''Ixodes tasmani'' included, are able to parasitize humans.

Taxonomy

The ''Ixodes tasmani'' was formally described in 1899 by the French parasitologist Louis Georges Neumann. He chose the specific epithet to honour the memory of the Dutch seafarer

Abel Tasman Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach New ...

who had discovered Tasmania.

Anatomy, life cycle and behavior

''Ixodes tasmani'' exhibits a few anatomical differences compared to other ticks species. The most important is that they tend to have a much shorter mouthpiece, and to compensate for this, this species can produce cement that attaches them more firmly to their host. ''Ixodes tasmani's'' entire life cycle can be completed in as little as four months. It has been found on 42 species of hosts, with most being the Australian marsupials,

monotremes Monotremes () are prototherian mammals of the order Monotremata. They are one of the three groups of living mammals, along with placentals (Eutheria), and marsupials ( Metatheria). Monotremes are typified by structural differences in their br ...

, rodents, domestic animals, and

humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

but has never been recorded on birds or reptiles. ''Ixodes tasmani'' is a three-host tick, meaning that it will switch to different hosts between each of its critical life stages. The ''Ixodes tasmani'' have been observed to follow a diurnal rhythm of detachment from their hosts, meaning they detach themselves from their hosts during 'daylight' hours so they can stay near or in the hosts' dens while they sleep. Due to this behavior, it has been concluded that this species is a nidicolous tick meaning that no matter the stage of life, this tick will live in and around the resting place of its host.

Distribution and habitat

''I. tasmani'' is one of the most widespread species of

Ixodes ''Ixodes'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks (family Ixodidae). It includes important disease vectors of animals and humans ( tick-borne disease), and some species (notably '' Ixodes holocyclus'') inject toxins that can cause paralysis. Som ...

'' and can be found in many inland and coastal parts of Australia, such as

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. ''Ixodes tasmani'' has also been found in some parts of Tasmania, but the population is not as significant compared to Australia. Its habitats consists of tree hollows, tall open grass area, and shrubs.

Zoonotic infections

''Ixodes tasmani'' is a known vector for several pathogens such as ''

Coxiella burnetii ''Coxiella burnetii'' is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen, and is the causative agent of Q fever. The genus ''Coxiella'' is morphologically similar to ''Rickettsia'', but with a variety of genetic and physiological differences. ''C. ...

Rickettsia australis ''Rickettsia australis'' is a bacterium that causes a medical condition called Queensland tick typhus. The probable vectors are the tick species, ''Ixodes holocyclus'' and '' Ixodes tasmani''. Small marsupials are suspected reservoirs of this b ...

, Rickettsia honei, Rickettsia honei subsp. marmionii.'' All of these pathogens will cause

Q fever Q fever or query fever is a disease caused by infection with ''Coxiella burnetii'', a bacterium that affects humans and other animals. This organism is uncommon, but may be found in cattle, sheep, goats, and other domestic mammals, including ...

Queensland tick typhus Queensland tick typhus is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium ''Rickettsia australis''. It is transmitted by the ticks ''Ixodes holocyclus'' and '' Ixodes tasmani''. Signs and symptoms Queensland tick typhus is a tick-borne disease. Onse ...

(QTT), Flinders Island spotted fever (FISF), and Australian spotted fever (ASF). Each of these diseases would be considered a

zoonotic A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human. ...

disease because it is transferred from animals to humans. A zoonotic pathogen can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic, and the transference to humans depends on the type of pathogens.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10538758 tasmani Arachnids of Australia Endemic fauna of Australia Parasitic arthropods of mammals Animals described in 1899