Ticks in the desert?

Ph.D. student Henrey Deese is leading our research on bird-ectoparasite interactions in Southern Arizona. His focus is the Gulf Coast Tick (Amblyomma maculatum) which has been found in the region in the last decade. This tick is a concern for public health because it carries a Rickettsia bacteria that causes spotted fever in humans. We’re studying the distribution of the tick in the Sonoran Desert and investigating the role of birds as hosts and dispersers of the tick. We’re pleased to be developing this project in partnership with the Tucson Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, and local