A cross sectional study was undertaken from November 2015 to March 2016 at Dodola in Oromia Regional state to identify the major tick species of cattle and to determine the tick burden and as well as to asses possible risk factors that might be associated with cattle infestation. A total of 400 cattle were selected. Adult ticks were collected from nine half-body regions of cattle into universal sampling bottle containing 70% ethanol, then identified by using stereomicroscope and counted to know the tick burden. As a whole 4 tick genera and 5 species were identified in the study period. The tick genera identified were Amblyoma, Boophilus, Rhipicephalus and Hylomma. During the study, a total of 645 adult ticks belonging to five species were collected. In this study, the tick species identified and their relative abundance were Amblyomma coherence (36.43%), Amblyomma variegatum (29.45%), Boophilus decoloratus (20%), Rhipicephalus eversti eversti (13.17%) and Hylomma marginatum rufipes (10%). Amblyomma ticks were found to be the most abundant in the study area and constituted 65.89% of the ticks collected. Statistical comparison of the mean tick burden within age groups, breeds and sexes all didn’t generate a trend (p>0.05). The difference in the mean tick burden within body condition and physiological status group was to be statistically significant.

Keywords: Cattle; Dodola Prevalence; Species; Tick infestation