[Taxacom] a parasite-host pair which survived theend-Cretaceous extinction

[Robin Leech]

When I lived in California, I used to find many fence lizards and
skinks with ticks around the ear drum, and often under the scales
on the body.
Robin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Kinman" <kennethkinman at webtv.net>
To: <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] a parasite-host pair which survived theend-Cretaceous 
extinction


Dear All,
An interesting update on the arthropod
blood-suckers discussion on DML. Lice and fleas (insects) apparently
prefer hosts with hairs or feathers that they can latch onto. On the
other hand, ticks and mites (arachnids) are apparently not so particular
and also parasitize amphibians and reptiles which are ectothermic. Off
hand, I'm not sure of the overall significance of this, and will have to
mull it over when I am not so tired.
But an interesting subject in any case.   I guess
the mites have the overall edge, since they parasitize a much broader
range of organisms, and are not so dependent (as a group) on just
vertebrate blood.
---------------Ken
Kinman

http://dml.cmnh.org/2011Apr/msg00097.html


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