Participate in important research to help scientists learn more about the Mojave desert tortoise and how this charismatic animal could be an important player in lowering disease risk from ticks!
Researchers at Northern Arizona University in collaboration with USGS are studying ticks and tick-borne pathogens of the Mojave desert tortoise. Our goal is to encourage conservation of desert tortoise populations and learn how tortoises benefit public health by reducing tick-borne disease. We believe that tortoises have an enzyme in their blood that kills diseases carried by ticks. This means, when a tick carrying a disease harmful to people bites a tortoise, the tortoise blood the tick drinks will kill disease (such as tick-borne relapsing fever, which is known to be carried by ticks the Mojave) that tick is potentially carrying and the tick will be incapable of infecting people.
In order to answer this question, we are collecting ticks across the Mojave desert tortoise range. Very little is known about ticks in the Mojave, including what species are found throughout the desert, what diseases they carry, and which species parasitize desert tortoises. Ticks collected from the Mojave and directly from desert tortoises will be identified to species and tested for diseases. Because we aim to map the distribution of tick species found across the Mojave desert tortoise habitat as well as the diseases they carry, we need a massive amount of data. This is why we are asking citizen scientists to mail ticks collected from the desert and directly from tortoises to NAU where they can be analyzed. Collecting ticks is easy and safe. Use tweezers or gloves to prevent tick bites. Below is information on how to safely collect ticks and where to send them. We cannot thank citizen scientists enough for helping progress our research. Together we can learn more about tick-borne disease in the Mojave desert and work to conserve the desert tortoise.
Protocol for safely collecting ticks:
Personal protective equipment: wear gloves to prevent tick bites and disease transmission.
Mail tick samples to:
Nathan Nieto, Assistant Professor Microbiology
C/O Molly Bechtel
Department of Biological Sciences
617 S. Beaver Street
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
For more information on this research please contact Molly Bechtel at [email protected]
Researchers at Northern Arizona University in collaboration with USGS are studying ticks and tick-borne pathogens of the Mojave desert tortoise. Our goal is to encourage conservation of desert tortoise populations and learn how tortoises benefit public health by reducing tick-borne disease. We believe that tortoises have an enzyme in their blood that kills diseases carried by ticks. This means, when a tick carrying a disease harmful to people bites a tortoise, the tortoise blood the tick drinks will kill disease (such as tick-borne relapsing fever, which is known to be carried by ticks the Mojave) that tick is potentially carrying and the tick will be incapable of infecting people.
In order to answer this question, we are collecting ticks across the Mojave desert tortoise range. Very little is known about ticks in the Mojave, including what species are found throughout the desert, what diseases they carry, and which species parasitize desert tortoises. Ticks collected from the Mojave and directly from desert tortoises will be identified to species and tested for diseases. Because we aim to map the distribution of tick species found across the Mojave desert tortoise habitat as well as the diseases they carry, we need a massive amount of data. This is why we are asking citizen scientists to mail ticks collected from the desert and directly from tortoises to NAU where they can be analyzed. Collecting ticks is easy and safe. Use tweezers or gloves to prevent tick bites. Below is information on how to safely collect ticks and where to send them. We cannot thank citizen scientists enough for helping progress our research. Together we can learn more about tick-borne disease in the Mojave desert and work to conserve the desert tortoise.
Protocol for safely collecting ticks:
- Manually remove ticks directly from tortoises or from burrows by hand or with forceps. Place ticks collected from tortoise directly into a conical tube or other small container (like a zip-lock baggie). Separate ticks in different conical tubes or bags by the tortoise the tick was collected from, or if not collected directly from tortoise, by burrow and specific location found (i.e. vegetation, under a rock, etc.).
- Record UTMs (if possible) for ticks not found on tortoises. For example: place ticks collected from an individual tortoise in the same container and label the container with: number of ticks, ID number of tortoise (if applicable) ticks were removed, burrow number (if tortoise was found in a burrow with a number), UTMs (if possible), date and general location found. Place ticks not attached to tortoises, but found in a single burrow, or clustered together on the ground or vegetation, in the same tube.
- Remember to mark the container with number of ticks, burrow number (if applicable), UTMs, date and general location found. Store collected ticks at room temperature, away from excessive sun, heat and humidity.
Personal protective equipment: wear gloves to prevent tick bites and disease transmission.
Mail tick samples to:
Nathan Nieto, Assistant Professor Microbiology
C/O Molly Bechtel
Department of Biological Sciences
617 S. Beaver Street
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
For more information on this research please contact Molly Bechtel at [email protected]