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The Effects of Ticks on Elephants

Although mighty with physically tough, hairy and thick skin, elephants are commonly plagued by tick infestations. Hard-bodied ticks belonging to the Ixodidae family frequently attack elephants, since the ticks are able to lodge on the elephant's tough body. Ticks are blood-sucking parasites and cause a lot of physical distress and irritation to elephants. In addition, ticks cause detrimental effects to the health of elephants.

  1. Mud Baths

    • Elephants bathe frequently and spray their body with water and dust, using their trunk, to provide a protective coat against tick infestation. Wallowing in mud is a typical activity among elephants, since it protects their skin and helps in getting rid of ticks and other parasites. Elephants also spray their body with sand, since it's coarse and hard and can get rid of ticks when they rub their body on rocks and trees. In watering holes, elephants sling mud and spray each other with water to get rid of ticks.

    Tick-borne Diseases

    • Various species of ticks transmit babesiosis disease in elephants. The symptoms of babesiosis in elephants are a rise in bodily temperature from the normal 36.6 degrees Celsius to 37.8 degrees Celsius, anemia and loss of appetite. This disease can easily spread within a herd since tick-infested elephants infect others within their habitat.

    Skin Destruction

    • Tick infestation causes severe itching and irritation to the elephant's skin; thus, the elephant rubs its body on trees and rocks to dislodge the ticks. This causes abrasion and open injuries to the skin and leads to bleeding. Some bird species pick ticks from the elephant skin, leaving open sores and causing bleeding. These open sores and wounds enable other disease-causing organisms to enter the elephant's body, and may often result in secondary infections.

    Environmental Destruction

    • Ticks in elephants are mainly found on the bottom of the tusks and on the head. Elephants rip off tree barks when they rub their heads and tusks on the trees to get these ticks off. They also break tree branches and rocks to dislodge ticks, destroying their natural habitat.

    Poor Health

    • Ticks are a nuisance to the elephants and might make them feed less, leading to poor weight gain in calves and weight loss in adults. Elephant calves infested with ticks grow slowly, since the calves are distracted from optimal breast-feeding by the irritation ticks cause. Ticks suck blood, weakening the elephants and making them more vulnerable to infections. In addition, ticks feed on the skin and flesh of the elephants, leading to a bumpy skin, open sores and swellings.

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