What do ticks attack? - briefly
Ticks feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and occasionally amphibians. During attachment they may transmit a variety of bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens.
What do ticks attack? - in detail
Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites that attach to a wide range of vertebrate hosts to obtain blood meals. Their selection of hosts is determined by species, life stage, and ecological context.
The primary categories of hosts include:
- Mammals – deer, rodents, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and humans. Large mammals often serve as principal hosts for adult ticks, while small mammals commonly support immature stages.
- Birds – passerines, waterfowl, and game birds. Many ground‑feeding or nest‑building species provide suitable environments for larval and nymphal attachment.
- Reptiles and amphibians – snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs. Certain tick species, such as Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis, regularly parasitize ectothermic hosts.
- Wildlife – foxes, raccoons, opossums, and other non‑domestic fauna. These animals sustain tick populations in natural ecosystems.
Attachment typically occurs on areas with thin skin or reduced grooming, such as the scalp, neck, ears, armpits, groin, and between toes. The tick inserts its hypostome, a barbed feeding organ, into the dermis, secreting anticoagulants and immunomodulatory compounds to maintain blood flow and evade host defenses.
During attachment, ticks can transmit a spectrum of pathogens, including:
- Bacterial agents: Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis).
- Viral agents: Powassan virus, tick‑borne encephalitis virus.
- Protozoan agents: Babesia microti (babesiosis).
The risk of pathogen transmission increases with the duration of feeding; most bacteria require at least 24 hours of attachment, whereas some viruses may be transmitted within a few hours.
In summary, ticks parasitize a diverse assemblage of vertebrates, targeting skin and blood vessels, and their feeding behavior facilitates the spread of multiple zoonotic diseases. Effective control measures focus on host management, habitat modification, and timely removal of attached ticks.