Feeding period and body weight change of Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (1844) nymphs (Acarina: Ixodidae) on the Japanese rat snake, Elaphe climacophora (Boie 1826) (Reptilia: Colubridae)

This study examined the feeding period and body weight changes in nymphs of Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (1844) infesting the Japanese rat snake, Elaphe climacophora (Boie 1826). Fifty unfed nymphs were used to parasitize two Japanese rat snakes. Notably, 68.0% of the nymphs were fully engorged at 17.6 ± 2.6 days. Furthermore, 26 of the fully engorged nymphs moulted into adults (moulting rate: 76.5%). The body weights of engorged female and male nymphs were 94.6 and 68.8 mg, respectively, while those of moulted female and male adults were 67.5 and 43.5 mg, respectively. The moulting periods of engorged female and male nymphs were 25.3 and 25.4 days, respectively. The body weights of engorged nymphs that detached from the host between the 18th and 23rd days and on day 23 were 110.5 ± 3.1 and 112 mg, respectively. The body weight of engorged female nymphs that dropped off the snakes after feeding was larger than that of the males. No differences in the time of moulting into the adults were observed between the sexes of engorged nymphs.