Question
I'd like to know the generic answer for reptiles, but I'm particularly concerned about tortoises.
Mine is largely an indoor tortoise, and the mosquitoes are already pretty much gone from our area, but I was curious about it. The occasional bug does get into the house, and since I can't always pick up waste right away, they do find their way to the tortoise's enclosure.
Do mosquitoes actually bite reptiles? I know that their skin is much tougher than a human's, and I would suspect that they wouldn't have the same immunological response to the bite that we would, but I don't know for sure.
If they do bite reptiles, is there any danger of communicating something like West Nile or EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis)? I know these diseases can affect mammalian pets but I don't have any further information on reptiles.
Answer
Mosquitos sure do bite reptiles, but generally, they do prefer to go after mammals. Mosquitos will probably opt for you and leave your tortoise or reptile . Also, mosquitos can transfer disease to tortoises, in fact, this has gotten researchers worried about the risks mosquitos have on rare tortoises.
Galapagos Islands researchers are increasingly worried about this phenomenon due to a rise in mosquito populations: a mosquito who bites a tourist with an infectious disease could transfer it to the local reptile population source.
See also A New Threat to the Galapagos Tortoise: Mosquito Bites
Since your tortoise is an indoor tortoise, it's less susceptible to mosquito bites. The only thing I know of that can attract mosquitos to your tortoise would be the still water from the water dish, especially if the water isn't changed frequently. Obviously, the only solution or partial solution to this is frequent water changes.
Many reptiles will gladly make a meal out of mosquitos, so even though mosquitos can bite them,the reptile will probably eat them as they arrive.
The West Nile or EEE can be transferred to reptiles, though not as commonly as mammals. Here is a detailed pdf about the EEE including the species affected by the disease.
You don't really have much to worry about for your tortoise when it comes to mosquitos, and as shelled animals, there really is less skin for a mosquito to bite on; mosquitos would rather target you. Some other reptiles would eat the mosquitos. The only real risk here is the one in the Galapagos, since the species is endangered. You can expect some solutions for mosquito problems with outdoor tortoises when effort is put into protecting the endangered reptiles of the Galapagos.
Here are some forums and sitesfor supplementary reading:
Answered By - Mozein