Tick paralysis in spectacled flying-foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) in North Queensland, Australia: impact of a ground-dwelling ectoparasite finding an arboreal host.

摘要: When a parasite finds new wildlife host, impacts can be significant. In the late 1980s populations of Spectacled Flying-foxes (SFF) (Pteropus conspicillatus), species confined, in Australia, to north Queensland became infected by paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus), resulting mortality. This Pteropus-tick relationship was Australia. Curiously, confined several camps on Atherton Tableland, Queensland. It hypothesised that an introduced plant, wild tobacco (Solanum mauritianum), had facilitated this host-tick interaction. study quantifies impact SFF and investigates with climate. Retrospective analysis carried out records from Tolga Bat Hospital for 1998–2010. Juvenile mortality rates were correlated climate data using vector auto-regression. Mortality due ranged between 11.6 per 10,000 bats 2003 102.5 2009; more female than male adult affected. negatively total rainfall January March July September same year while positive correlation these quarterly rainfalls existed population. All affected located 80% core range S. mauritianum. initial justifies further exploration how exotic plant might alter formerly ground-dwelling arboreal host.