Castor bean tick vs Cinnamon antechinus

Ixodes ricinus compared with Antechinus leo

Key Differences

• Castor bean tick is Not Evaluated while Cinnamon antechinus is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Castor bean tick	Cinnamon antechinus
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ixodida (Ixodida)	Dasyuromorphia (Dasyuromorphia)
Family	Ixodidae	Dasyuridae
Genus	Ixodes	Antechinus
Species	Ixodes ricinus	Antechinus leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Castor bean tick and Cinnamon antechinus share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Castor bean tick

NE — Not Evaluated

Cinnamon antechinus

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Castor bean tick	Cinnamon antechinus
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Castor bean tick

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (7 countries).

Cinnamon antechinus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Castor bean tick

The Castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) is a species in the genus Ixodes. Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Cinnamon antechinus

The cinnamon antechinus (Antechinus leo) is a small marsupial in the family Dasyuridae, endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia, particularly the Cape York Peninsula. It inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforest and forest margins at low elevations, sheltering in tree hollows, dense vine tangles, and fallen logs. Like all antechinuses, it is a specialist insectivore, consuming beetles, cockroaches, moths, and other invertebrates, and occasionally small lizards. The cinnamon antechinus is named for its rich cinnamon-brown dorsal fur. A remarkable feature shared by all antechinus species is semelparous reproduction: males undergo a catastrophic physiological decline and die shortly after a brief, intense mating season in winter, leaving only the pregnant females to carry the population into the next generation. This extreme reproductive strategy results in completely male-free populations for most of the year. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations within Cape York's relatively intact tropical forest. However, like all antechinuses, it faces threats from feral predators (cats and foxes), habitat degradation, and altered fire regimes. Climate change poses a long-term risk by shrinking the cool, moist forest habitats this species depends on. Genetic studies of Australian antechinuses have revealed considerable cryptic diversity.