What does a taiga tick do? - briefly
A taiga tick attaches to mammals, birds, or reptiles to ingest blood, completing its life cycle across larval, nymphal, and adult stages. During feeding it can transmit pathogens such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
What does a taiga tick do? - in detail
The taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus, is a blood‑feeding ectoparasite that inhabits boreal forests across northern Eurasia. Adult females attach to mammals, birds, or occasionally reptiles, insert their hypostome, and ingest blood over several days. This feeding enables egg production; a single female can lay up to 2,500 eggs after engorgement.
Life cycle stages—egg, larva, nymph, adult—are each dependent on a blood meal. The sequence proceeds as follows:
- Eggs hatch into six‑legged larvae that quest on low vegetation.
- Larvae attach to small mammals (e.g., rodents) and feed for 3–5 days.
- After detachment, larvae molt into eight‑legged nymphs, which seek larger hosts such as hares or ground‑dwelling birds.
- Nymphs feed for 4–7 days, then molt into adults.
- Adult ticks preferentially target larger mammals, including deer, moose, and humans, before reproducing.
During each blood meal the tick can acquire and transmit pathogens. Notable agents include:
- Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato – causative agent of Lyme disease.
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum – responsible for human granulocytic anaplasmosis.
- Tick‑borne encephalitis virus – causes neurological illness.
Transmission occurs when infected saliva is introduced into the host’s bloodstream. The tick’s salivary proteins suppress host immune responses, facilitating pathogen entry and prolonged feeding.
Ecologically, the species regulates small‑mammal populations by imposing parasitic stress, while simultaneously acting as a vector that links wildlife reservoirs to incidental hosts, including humans. Climate warming expands its northern range, increasing exposure risk in previously unaffected taiga zones.