BTW, deer do not play a unique part in the cycle of Lyme Disease.  They
are merely hosts at the same time that we, some domestics and about 30
species of wild animals are also hosts.  The reservoir animals for Lyme
Disease are ground nesting rodents, and there is currently some research
going on to see if if it might be possible to decrease the disease in
that reservoir using medicated bait.
 
Over 800 tick species world wide (which seems very low considering how
old ticks are).
 
Canada is considered a country with few at only 40 species.
http://res2.agr.ca/ecorc/ti/index_e.htm
 
The site below has some interesting info on ticks and tick borne diseases
http://home.earthlink.net/~webmedic4u/ticks.html
 
Tick Paralysis in the U.S. -- something for people in those areas to
consider in relation to their ferrets as well as themselves:
chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/documents/FACT/18-017-0105.pdf
 
info on the 5 types of ticks most commonly found in the national parks
of the U.S.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/ipm/manual/ticks.htm
 and
http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/grants/reports/1426/
includes
>Some 22 species of hard ticks and three argasids are present in
>mainland Britain and its islands. Most are parasitic on mammals
>including farmed livestock, with at least 12 species parasitizing
>birds with two regularly found on reptiles. Almost all species of
>tick in Britain appear capable of transmitting a range of diseases
>to livestock and household pets...
[Posted in FML issue 4840]