Who do ticks bite and who do they not bite? - briefly
Ticks bite warm‑blooded vertebrates such as mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles, while they do not feed on fish, amphibians, or insects. Larval stages prefer small rodents, and adult ticks target larger hosts, including humans.
Who do ticks bite and who do they not bite? - in detail
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods; they attach to vertebrate hosts to obtain blood meals required for development and reproduction. Host selection varies among species, life stages, and ecological conditions.
Mammalian hosts commonly bitten include:
- Small rodents (e.g., mice, voles) – primary hosts for larval and nymph stages of many Ixodes species.
- Larger mammals (e.g., deer, cattle, dogs, cats) – preferred by adult ticks of genera such as Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus.
- Humans – occasional hosts for nymphs and adults, particularly in regions where wildlife encroaches on settlements.
Avian hosts are also targeted:
- Ground‑dwelling birds (e.g., quail, pheasants) – frequent hosts for certain Dermacentor larvae.
- Passerine species – serve as hosts for some Ixodes nymphs.
Reptilian and amphibian hosts are less common but relevant for specific tick groups:
- Turtles, lizards – primarily bitten by Amblyomma and Hyalomma species in tropical habitats.
- Frogs and salamanders – occasional hosts for immature stages of some soft‑tick taxa.
Ticks typically avoid ectothermic organisms lacking sufficient blood volume, such as insects and arachnids. They also rarely attach to marine mammals because their life cycles are adapted to terrestrial environments. Domestic poultry and fully feathered birds are generally unsuitable hosts due to the difficulty of penetrating dense plumage.
Host specificity is influenced by:
- Questing behavior – questing height and activity pattern determine which animals are encountered.
- Sensory cues – carbon dioxide, heat, and movement attract ticks toward suitable mammals or birds.
- Seasonal activity – peak periods align with the presence of preferred hosts in a given habitat.
Understanding the range of acceptable and unsuitable hosts informs control strategies, surveillance of tick‑borne pathogens, and risk assessment for human exposure.