Parasite?

T

TJ

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Tim Johnson
Can anybody identify this spider-like creature? I found it crawling atop my Paramesotriton.

19696.jpg


19697.jpg


It looks similar to a suspected parasite I found on another Paramesotriton a couple of years ago. Does it pose any danger? Any recommendations on how best to remove it?
 
Tim, if no one can ID it, I can e-mail a professor I had last semester, he's a spider expert, and he'd know what it is. He won't check his e-mail until then anyhow.
 
It almost looks like a mite, That would come in with soil
 
Thanks guys.

Peter, I did say it was "spider-like" but I don't think it's a spider. A mite or chigger seems more likely. Thanks anyway though!

Josh, the newt spends most of its time in the water and there's no soil in the tank at present, just a float.

Here is a link to the previous case I had, with some interesting observations by Ralf and Ed:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/7/2331.html
 
Hey Tim, Dr. Draney got back to me, but couldn't tell much from the picture. He wrote:

"The photo is too small of an image for me to tell exactly what it is, but if its attached to a newt, I can tell you its NOT a spider. There are no spiders that parasitize any vertebrates (or anything else for that matter). They are all strictly predators.

It certainly looks like an arthropod...mites are the best possibility. It could possibly be a tick, which is a certain family of mite. I know there are ticks that live in reptile's ear canals. But more likely, its some other mite."

Other than that, he didn't really know any more from the picture. I hope you you figure it out though!
 
peter, with your lecturer...i saw a spider today and it had a round black and white body. it looked like the one on spider man escept not blue n red but stil i was considerin lettin it bite me in the hope that i could become spider women! how cool would that be! but ive never seen one of those spiders b4. does he know what kind of spider it is? cos i read somewhere someone saw a black and white one then it turned out to be a really rare poisenous spider.
 
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