Ticks are a relatively rare parasite in chameleons. A recent case report of tick infestation in a chameleon comes from southern Turkey.

A Chamaeleo chamaeleon with an engorged tick above its right eye was noticed by a veterinarian right next to a path on the campus of a department of the Agricultural Research and Policy Authority in Demre. He removed the tick and had it examined further. Under the microscope, it turned out to be a nymph of the species Hyalomma aegypticum. Hyalomma aegypticum is known to date in reptiles, especially tortoises of the genus Testudo, but the spectrum of possible hosts also includes numerous mammals. Chameleons were not previously known as hosts, so this is the first case worldwide.

Incidentally, ticks of the genus Hyalomma have also been present in Germany for about ten years. Unlike many other tick species, they can ‘actively hunt’, i.e. pursue their host, and have become ‘notorious’ thanks to media exaggeration. In addition, some species transmit Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) to humans, while others transmit spotted fever. With reference to the current publication, it would be interesting to know whether other Hyalomma species native to this country are potentially hosts for chameleons in outdoor enclosures.

A novel host record: Hyalomma aegypticum (Linnaeus, 1758) infestation on the Mediterranean Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) in Türkiye
Gokhan Eren
Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences 2025: 41:e0454
DOI: 10.63673/eurasianjvetsci.454

Photo: The tick found, together with the host chameleon, from the publication mentioned above.