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Ectoparasites of the island fox on Santa Cruz Island
K R Crooks1, C A Scott, L Angeloni
1Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz 95064, USA. krcrooks@earthlink.net
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
|March 29, 2001
Abstract:
The ectoparasite fauna for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) on Santa Cruz Island (California, USA) in April (wet season) and September (dry season) 1998 was evaluated. Three taxa of ectoparasites were identified. These were fleas (Pulex irritans), lice (Neotrichodectes mephitidis), and ticks (Ixodes pacificus). Ectoparasite abundances varied seasonally. Typical of insular endemic species, island foxes may be especially vulnerable to the introduction of novel disease organisms and their vectors.