A survey of reptile-associated ticks and their infection status with severe 
fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was conducted to determine the 
relative abundance and distribution among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the 
Republic of Korea (ROK). In total, 132 reptiles, including 49 lizards (two 
species), 15 skinks (one species), and 68 snakes (eight species) were collected. 
In total, 84 ixodid ticks belonging to two genera (Ixodes and Amblyomma) were 
collected from 28/132 (21.2%) lizards, skinks, and snakes. Ixodes nipponensis 
Kitaoka & Saito was only collected from lizards and skinks, while Amblyomma 
testudinarium Koch was only collected from snakes. Takydromus wolteri had the 
highest tick index (0.7; total number ticks/total number collected hosts) among 
lizards and skinks, while Rhabdophis tigrinus had the highest tick index (2.2) 
among the snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 11.1% and 
88.9%, respectively, of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, while only 
A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of 
ticks were collected from lizards and skinks from April to October, while I. 
nipponensis larvae were collected only from September to October. Ixodes 
nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached to the lateral trunk 
(83.3%) and the foreleg axillae (16.7%) of lizards and skinks. SFTS virus was 
detected in both I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium collected from lizards and 
snakes. Phylogenetic analysis of SFTS viruses of ticks collected from two 
lizards and one snake demonstrated close relationships with SFTS virus strains 
observed from humans and ticks in the ROK, China, and Japan. These results 
implicate lizards and snakes as potential hosts of SFTS virus.