Guides Parasites and wildlife

Tick season in WA: September to April

Do wild animals have parasites?

Yes. Quenda, possums and bobtails all carry their own ticks, mites and worms, and most of these passengers stay put. Look, don’t touch, and ring for help if one looks sick. Hillman 2017 Hillman 2018 Australian Museum

Quenda, Isoodon fusciventer, in the photo Facts checked 9 Oct 2026 23 sources

A quenda foraging in leaf litter — Quenda, or southern brown bandicoot, foraging in leaf litter. Photo: A.J. Anderson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

Peak tick season, WA: Sep to Aprticks live in bushland and long grass across WA WA Health
Paralysis tick: Not in WAan east-coast problem only WA Health
Mange in Perth quenda: Since 2019first found on Perth’s edge, later in Jandakot and Coogee Botten 2022 Murdoch
Bats: Never touchany bat in Australia could carry lyssavirus WA Health

Can I catch something

from possums or quenda? Rarely, if you keep it to looking. Here’s who to ring, and what keeps you, your pets and the animals well.

Look, don’t touch. In Perth studies, most of the parasites quenda carry were native kinds not known, or thought highly unlikely, to infect people or pets, and Perth’s brushtail possums showed no sign of being a big source of parasites people can catch. Hillman 2017 Hillman 2018 DBCA asks people not to touch or handle injured wildlife unnecessarily. DBCA
Bald, scabby or scratching hard? It may be mange, though hair loss has other causes too. WHA Ring the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055 to be put through to the nearest wildlife care centre. Murdoch DBCA
A sick or dead bird, or other dead wildlife? Don’t touch or move it. Note where it is, take a photo if you can, and ring the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888: H5 bird flu has been found in WA. DPIRD
A bat, on the ground or in the house? Don’t touch it. For a hurt bat, ring the Wildcare Helpline. DBCA If a bat bites or scratches you, wash the wound well with soap and water and see a doctor as soon as possible. WA Health
Heading into bush or long grass? From September to April, wear light-coloured clothes so ticks are easy to spot, and check yourself afterwards. WA Health If a bite worries you, see your GP. For a pet, ask your vet.
Wash your hands. After patting or handling animals, and after gardening (in gloves). WA Health Healthdirect
Don’t feed them. Feeding crowds animals together, and DBCA says crowds like that can start disease outbreaks that kill large numbers of animals. In WA it’s illegal without an authority. DBCA

What diseases do wild animals

carry, and which reach pets or people? Most stay with the animals. Here’s the short list for a WA backyard.

Parasites and diseases of backyard wildlife in WA, and whether each can reach wildlife, pets and people
Parasite or disease	Wildlife	Pets	People
Ticks many native kinds	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ticks bite mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs alike. The brown dog tick is common in WA, and in people a tick bite most often causes a local reaction. WA Health Australia has 74 known tick species, and 23 have been recorded biting people. Egan 2022 Ring: your GP if a bite worries you; your vet for a pet.
Sarcoptic mange a burrowing mite	Yes, can kill	Yes	Rarely
Recorded in 13 native mammals, including quenda and both brushtail and ringtail possums. The same mite infects pets and people, but wildlife are unlikely to play a big part in human scabies. WHA Ring: the Wildcare Helpline, (08) 9474 9055. Murdoch
Toxoplasmosis a single-celled parasite	Yes	Cats spread it	Yes
Cats are the hosts that shed its eggs, hardy enough to last months to years in wet soil. Australian marsupials are considered highly susceptible. WHA People catch it from soil, cat litter or undercooked meat, and it’s most serious in pregnancy. Healthdirect Ring: your doctor, straight away, if you’re pregnant and think you have it. Healthdirect
Worms and gut parasites	Yes	Unclear	Unclear
Quenda, possums and bobtails all carry them. Hillman 2018 Australian Museum In Perth quenda, most were native kinds not known, or thought highly unlikely, to infect people or pets. Two, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, need more study. Hillman 2017 Ring: no one. Wash your hands after gardening or touching animals. WA Health
Bat lyssavirus	Bats	Not in our sources	Bite or scratch
Any bat in Australia could carry it, and you can’t tell from how a bat looks or acts. WA Health Ring: a doctor if a bat bites or scratches you WA Health; the Wildcare Helpline for a hurt bat. DBCA
H5 bird flu	Yes	Take care	Low risk
Found in a small number of sea birds in WA. It rarely affects people. Keep dogs on a lead where wildlife are about, and cats indoors. DPIRD Ring: 1800 675 888 for sick or dead birds, or other dead wildlife. DPIRD
Germs in droppings at feeding spots	Outbreaks	Not in our sources	Yes
Where feeding crowds animals together, diseases can spread among them, and some, such as Salmonella, psittacosis and E. coli, can pass to people through droppings and urine. DBCA Ring: no one. Stop feeding, and wash your hands. DBCA

Yes Rarely, unclear or take care Not covered by the sources we used
What each source says, in a few words. Nothing here is a diagnosis: for an animal, ring the helpline or a vet; for yourself, your doctor.

Can brushtail possums get

mange? Yes, and so can quenda. In WA the worry right now is quenda: an outbreak on Perth’s edge since 2019. WHA Botten 2022

What it is. Sarcoptic mange is a skin disease caused by a mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, that burrows into the skin. It’s probably a colonial-era stowaway, thought to have come in with Europeans and their dogs. In people the same mite causes scabies. WHA

What it looks like. Intense scratching, reddened and thickened skin, crusting and hair loss. In quenda, the rump and tail are hit most. Not every bald patch is mange: other mites, allergies and skin infections can look alike. WHA Botten 2022

Where it is in WA. Researchers first identified mange in quenda in a peri-urban part of Perth in 2019, and by mid-2021 cases covered 107 hectares. Murdoch University reported in 2024 that Roleystone was the main area, with newer clusters in Jandakot and Coogee. Botten 2022 Murdoch Brushtail and ringtail possums are on Wildlife Health Australia’s list of native mammals with mange, too. WHA

Why it matters. In its worst, crusted form, mange can kill, and outbreaks have caused local declines, most of all in bare-nosed wombats. WHA

13: Native mammals with mange on record, from wombats and koalas to quenda and possums. WHA
26.9%: Of quenda in the Perth outbreak study, July 2019 to June 2021, the share with mange. Botten 2022
19 days: How long adult mites can survive off an animal, in the right conditions. WHA

Do bandicoots carry

ticks? Yes, and so do possums, bobtails and birds. Ticks ride on fur, feathers and scales, and WA’s tick season peaks from September to April. WA Health Hillman 2017

Peak tick season, WA WA Health

Months shaded when WA Health says tick season peaks in WA: September to April.

Quenda

Murdoch University researchers combed 287 Perth quenda for ticks, fleas and gut parasites. Most were native kinds not known, or thought highly unlikely, to infect people or pets. Stickfast fleas, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Amblyomma ticks need more study to know whether they can. Hillman 2017

Brushtail possums

In a study of 56 Perth possums, ticks turned up more often on possums from bushland, and none on those trapped in built-up areas, though the samples were small. The authors found no sign that Perth’s possums are a big source of parasites people or pets can catch. Hillman 2018

Bobtails

Reptile ticks are common on bobtails, tucked under the scales and in the ear canal. Australian Museum The stump-tailed lizard tick, which feeds mostly on lizards and snakes, was first recorded biting a person in 2022, during fieldwork near Perth. Egan 2022

Introduced parasites in wildlife

can be a conservation threat, like the mange mite. But parasites are wildlife too, and many are at risk themselves. Botten 2022 Carlson 2020

The forgotten wildlife. Parasites are some of the most diverse, ecologically important animals on Earth, and almost always the least protected by conservation, say a group of parasite scientists who in 2020 set out 12 goals to change that. Carlson 2020

They go when their hosts go. A parasite with only one kind of host lives or dies with it. When Maclear’s rat disappeared from Christmas Island, a tick recorded only from that rat, Ixodes nitens, is considered to have gone with it. Mihalca 2011

A long look at one lizard’s ticks. In South Australia, the late Professor Michael Bull and his team checked “sleepy lizards” (bobtails) for two kinds of tick for 35 years straight, one of the longest-running studies of lizards and their ticks. Godfrey 2017

5 to 10%: Of 457 parasite species modelled, the share committed to extinction by 2070 from climate change alone. Carlson 2017
30%: Of parasitic worms, at most, once hosts going extinct are counted too. Carlson 2017
1903: The last record of the tick’s only known host, Maclear’s rat. Mihalca 2011

Treating mange in wildlife

is a job for vets and licensed carers. Your job is to call. Here’s what helps, and what to leave alone.

Do

Ring the Wildcare Helpline about a bald, scabby or sick animal. Murdoch
Note where you saw it, and take a photo if you can. DPIRD
Keep dogs on a lead where wildlife are about. DPIRD
Wear gloves in the garden, and wash your hands after. Healthdirect
Keep a bird bath topped up with fresh, clean water. DBCA
Ask your vet about ticks, mange and worms in your pets.

Don’t

Put out medicine, or pet treatments in food. WHA says only an experienced vet, or a carer following APVMA rules, should treat mange, as treating wild animals in place can harm other species. WHA
Try to care for a sick animal yourself. Only licensed people or vets can rehabilitate wildlife. DBCA
Touch a bat, alive or dead. WA Health
Touch or move a sick or dead bird. DPIRD
Feed wildlife. It draws animals together and spreads disease, and in WA it’s illegal without an authority. DBCA

What DBCA’s pages say about feeding and caring for wildlife, not legal advice.

Can mange spread to

humans? Rarely, from wildlife. In people the mite causes scabies, which most often clears up by itself, and wildlife are unlikely to play a big part in it. WHA These are the questions people search most, each answered in its first line.

Can possums have mange?

Yes, though it’s reported far more often in wombats, and outbreaks have hit koalas and quenda. Brushtail and ringtail possums are both on Wildlife Health Australia’s list of native mammals with sarcoptic mange. Hair loss has other causes too, so don’t assume. WHA Ring the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055. DBCA

Do possums eat ticks?

Not that anyone has shown. In the wild, the common brushtail possum eats leaves, blossoms and fruits. Australian Museum The tick-gobbling possum story comes from American research on Virginia opossums, not Australian possums, and even there a 2021 study found no ticks in the stomachs of 32 wild opossums, and none in 23 other studies of what they eat. Hennessy 2021 Illinois Extension

Do bandicoots carry diseases?

They carry ticks, fleas and gut parasites, and most of them aren’t known to infect people. In 287 Perth quenda, most parasites were native kinds not known, or thought highly unlikely, to infect people or pets; a few need more study. Hillman 2017 Quenda can also catch mange and toxoplasmosis. WHA WHA Leave them be, and wash your hands after gardening. WA Health

What animals carry toxoplasmosis?

Cats spread it, and any warm-blooded animal can carry it. Cats are the hosts that shed the parasite’s eggs. In Australia it’s been found in kangaroos and wallabies, possums, bandicoots, wombats, quolls and many more, as well as flying foxes and dolphins. WHA People catch it from soil, cat litter, unwashed vegetables or undercooked meat. Healthdirect

Can dogs catch mange from wombats?

Dogs can catch the same mite. Sarcoptic mange affects domestic animals as well as wildlife, and spill-over from domestic animals is one of the most likely ways the mite reaches new wildlife and new areas. WHA If your dog is scratching hard or losing hair, see your vet.

Do bobtails get ticks?

Yes, often. Reptile ticks are common on bobtails, under the scales and in the ear canal, and worms sometimes show in their droppings. Australian Museum If a bobtail looks sick or hurt, ring the Wildcare Helpline. DBCA

Is it OK to touch a possum?

Best not. DBCA asks people not to touch or handle injured wildlife unnecessarily, and only licensed people or vets can care for it. DBCA If you do touch an animal, wash your hands afterwards. WA Health

Sources, checked 9 October 2026

Ticks WA Health (no date shown): ticks throughout WA in bushland and long grass; paralysis tick not in WA; peak season September to April; a local reaction is the most common effect; they feed on mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians; brown dog tick common; light-coloured clothing and body checks
Egan, Lettoof and Oskam 2022, first record of the stump-tailed lizard tick biting a human Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 13(1): 74 tick species in Australia, 23 now recorded on people; the tick feeds mostly on lizards and snakes; found during tiger snake fieldwork near Perth
Sarcoptic mange in Australian wildlife Wildlife Health Australia fact sheet, October 2025 (v 4.0): 13 native mammals on record, including quenda and both possums; probably arrived with Europeans and their dogs; signs and look-alikes; scabies in people “most often self-limiting”; mites survive off the host up to 19 days; treatment only by an experienced vet or in line with APVMA rules
Botten, Ash and Jackson 2022, a sarcoptic mange epizootic in quenda International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 18: 172 to 179, peri-urban Perth: found in 2019; 107 ha by mid-2021; period prevalence 26.9%; rump and tail most affected; “an emerging conservation threat”
Mange has been found in local quenda Murdoch University, 30 July 2024: Roleystone, Jandakot and Coogee; contact a wildlife care centre or the Wildcare Helpline
Hillman and others 2017, urban environments alter parasite fauna in the quenda Science of the Total Environment 607: 1466 to 1478, 287 Perth quenda (then named Isoodon obesulus): most parasites native and not known, or highly unlikely, to infect people or domestic animals; stickfast fleas, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Amblyomma ticks need further study
Hillman and others 2018, parasitic infections of brushtail possums in urbanised environments Wildlife Biology 2018(1), 56 Perth possums: ticks more common in bushland, none found on urban-trapped possums; “no evidence” Perth possums are “a substantial reservoir” of parasites shared with people
Toxoplasmosis of Australian mammals Wildlife Health Australia fact sheet, October 2019 (v 2.2): cats are the definitive hosts; eggs survive months to years in wet soil; marsupials considered highly susceptible; species list
Toxoplasmosis Healthdirect, last reviewed March 2024: how people catch it; risks in pregnancy; gloves for gardening; see your doctor
Rabies and lyssavirus WA Health (HealthyWA, no date shown): any bat in Australia could carry it; don’t touch bats; if bitten or scratched, wash the wound and see a doctor
H5 bird flu in Western Australia DPIRD, updated 9 Oct 2026: found in a small number of sea birds; don’t touch or move dead birds or other wildlife; report on 1800 675 888; low risk to people; dogs on a lead, cats indoors
Wildcare Helpline DBCA: the helpline number; advice on sick or injured wildlife; bats may carry lyssavirus; fresh, clean water in a bird bath
Helping sick or injured native wildlife DBCA: don’t touch or handle injured wildlife unnecessarily; only licensed people or vets can rehabilitate wildlife
Supporting wildlife in urban areas DBCA: crowding at feeding spots can start disease outbreaks; Salmonella, toxoplasmosis, psittacosis and E. coli can pass to people through faeces and urine; feeding is illegal without an authority
Facts about hand hygiene WA Health (HealthyWA), last reviewed 19 May 2026: wash hands after handling or patting animals
Shingleback lizard (bobtail) Australian Museum, updated 21 Apr 2026: reptile ticks commonly found under the scales and in the ear canal; nematode worms sometimes seen in droppings
Godfrey and Gardner 2017, lizards, ticks and C. Michael Bull International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 6(3): 295 to 298: 35 years of continuous surveys of two tick species on the sleepy lizard (bobtail)
Common brushtail possum Australian Museum, updated 24 Sep 2026: in the wild it eats leaves, blossoms and fruits
Hennessy and Hild 2021, “Are Virginia opossums really ecological traps for ticks?” Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 12(5): we could not open the paper itself; its findings are from source 20
Reassessing the opossum-tick relationship University of Illinois Extension, 14 June 2024: the 2021 study found no tick parts in 32 opossums, and no tick-eating in 23 diet studies
Carlson and others 2017, parasite biodiversity faces extinction Science Advances 3(9): 5 to 10% of 457 parasite species committed to extinction by 2070; up to 30% of parasitic worms with host coextinctions
Carlson and others 2020, a global parasite conservation plan Biological Conservation 250: parasites “the least protected” by conservation; 12 goals for the decade
Mihalca, Gherman and Cozma 2011, coendangered hard-ticks Parasites and Vectors 4: 71: Ixodes nitens, known from Maclear’s rat on Christmas Island (last host record 1903), considered extinct

We give no treatment advice for animals or people, and name no products. For an animal, ring the helpline, a carer or a vet; for yourself, your doctor.

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