So you know how everything fits into an ecological circle... (ex. grass eats nutrients in soil, cows eat grass, things eat cows, things die, grass eats the nutrients, etc)
Soooo what is the purpose of a tick? does anything eat them? do they serve any sort of environmental function?
Please try not to just guess.. I'm looking for serious answers...
2006-10-29 02:48:05 · 6 answers · asked by jrv116psu 2 in Environment
In terms of evolution, animals don't evolve to fit some useful role, they evolve to exploit a certain niche (habitat, food source, lifestyle etc...). It's all about them, not the environment. Ticks have found a way to exploit a food source and lifestyle (blood via parasitism). As to how they fit into the food chain, They do have predators... Larger bugs, small reptiles/mammals etc... Some primates will eat ticks found during social grooming.
2006-10-29 04:50:04 · answer #1 · answered by snake_girl85 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought this same thing about fleas so I did some research because I couldn't imagine why these pesky parasites have a purpose and what would eat them! I found that there is such a thing called a Nematode. (it is a very tiny insect that feeds on fleas and tick eggs before they are able to mature.)
2016-03-28 00:45:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing living is FOR anything. It isn't like there's a plan or anything.
Ticks are for making more ticks. Hummingbirds are for making more hummingbirds.
Bees are not for pollinating flowers, although they do a pretty damn good job of that...bees are for making bees.
The job of any living organism is the perpetuation of their genetic material.
The question needs to be restated : "Does the presence of ticks benefit any other organism, or play a critical role in either a food chain or biome?"
2006-10-29 02:58:58 · answer #3 · answered by mmd 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
there is a few animals that eat ticks....but very few....
ticks are PARASITES....they survive by harming others...they have no symbiotic purpose.....all parasites live off other creatures without helping them in any way...
2006-10-29 02:58:01 · answer #4 · answered by SpinKick 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
oh easy easy well if ticks don't kill you when they suck your blood did you know its acctualy heathlyer to get bitten by one and have it suck some of your blood thats why some people donate blood its like oil you got to get rid of some when it get old so it makes you less likely to get sick.
2006-10-29 02:54:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i heard that chickens eat them LOL i live here in the south
2006-10-29 02:55:51 · answer #6 · answered by yahooligan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋