Known and potential ticks and tick-borne pathogens of Micronesia Author Velde, Nancy Vander Velde And Brian Vander Author O., P. nancyv @ ntamar. net nancyv@ntamar.net text Micronesica 2013 2013 1 1 26 journal article 299044 10.5281/zenodo.12117350 88b107e9-e7b3-44a7-b88f-d50d1f124259 0026-279X 12117350 Amblyomma squamosum Kohls, 1953 When Kohls described the monitor lizard tick, Amblyomma squamosum , he considered it to be an endemic species found only on Guam and only on the mangrove monitor lizard ( Varanus indicus ) ( Kohls 1953 ). No information beyond the original description and repetition thereof was found ( Durden & Keirans 1996 ). Other lizards on Guam have suffered terrible decimation in recent years ( United States Geological Survey 2005 ). If Amblyomma squamosum was actuality a parasite of more lizards than just the monitor, including one or more of the native and/or endemic lizards which early in the environmental upheaval of the last century were extirpated, this could possibly explain the lack of information about this tick (pers. comm. R . Robbins). Or it may be that it has escaped notice. Herpatologist Ronald Crombie (pers. comm.) observed ticks on monitor lizards and skinks of Guam and other Mariana Islands , as well as the Caroline Islands of Yap and Palau , but no identification was made of these parasites to know if these were the endemic Amblyomma squamosum or some other wider ranging monitor lizard tick or ticks.