Unusual findings on host-tick interactions through carnivore scat analysis.

In the course of a study on the diet of two Portuguese carnivores, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus) and the common genet (Genetta genetta Linnaeus), 276 ticks were found inside the 940 scats analyzed. Prevalence in samples was 7.6% for both predators. Association of ticks with prey identified on scats, resulted in new data for Portugal on host-tick interactions [e.g. Ixodes acuminatus (Neumann, 1901) and wood mouse] and tick distribution pattern. These unusual findings, besides shedding some light on the host-tick Portuguese assemblage, revealed scats as a new source of biological information.