Who do ticks bite? - briefly
Ticks feed on a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and humans. Host selection varies by tick species, developmental stage, and environmental conditions.
Who do ticks bite? - in detail
Ticks attach to a wide range of vertebrate hosts, but the specific animals they feed on depend on species, life stage, and environment.
Larval ticks generally require a small host to obtain their first blood meal. Typical targets include:
- Small mammals such as mice, voles, and shrews
- Ground‑dwelling birds, especially passerines
- Occasionally reptiles or amphibians in warmer regions
After molting, nymphs seek larger hosts to acquire a second meal. Common nymphal hosts are:
- Medium‑sized mammals like squirrels, raccoons, and foxes
- Ground‑nesting birds and larger songbirds
- Domestic animals such as cats and dogs in peri‑urban areas
Adult females, which need a substantial blood intake for egg production, prefer the biggest available hosts. Frequent adult hosts comprise:
- Large mammals: deer, elk, moose, and other ungulates
- Humans, particularly when they enter tick‑infested habitats
- Livestock: cattle, sheep, and goats, especially in agricultural settings
Host selection is influenced by several factors:
- Species‑specific preferences: For example, the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) favors white‑tailed deer and humans, while the western black‑legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) commonly feeds on small rodents and then on larger mammals.
- Geographic distribution: Ticks in temperate zones often encounter different host communities than those in tropical areas, altering their feeding patterns.
- Seasonal activity: Questing behavior peaks in spring and early summer for many species, aligning with the presence of juvenile hosts; adult activity may extend into autumn when larger mammals are more active.
- Habitat characteristics: Dense understory, leaf litter, and humid microclimates increase the likelihood of encounters with ground‑dwelling hosts.
Understanding the host range of each tick life stage is essential for assessing disease transmission risk, as pathogens are acquired and passed on during these blood meals.