Ticks Infection on the Long-Eared Hedgehog, Hemiechimus auritus (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) with the description of Rhipicephalus turanicus (Acarina :Ixodidae) in Iran

Ticks are very important to transmit some major diseases. The ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites and feed on wild and domestic animals. This research was carried out to study hard ticks which infected long-eared hedgehogs. A total of 29 hedgehogs were collected from seven stations in country of Mashhad during spring and summer of 2009- 2014 when they are so active. Then, 25 infected hedgehogs were found. Totally, 68 ticks were collected from 25 hedgehogs including 46 adult ticks (25 males and 21 females). The ticks are belonging to Hyalomma anatolicum, H. excavatum, H. marginatumandRhipicephalus turanicus. This survey is the first description of R. turanicus on long-eared hedgehogs in Iran. Since hedgehogs are freely coming to gardens, stables and human habitation, it is necessary to pay attention of their infection. In order to get more information about hedgehog infections and their transferable diseases in our country, more investigations and researches on infections of hedgehog are required.