It is a known fact that ticks can migrate to other continents by parasitizing on the body surface of migratory birds. There are some specific influencing factors that affect this, and I would like to know the interrelationship between them.
Thanks
1. Ability to adapt to the environment of their host's new environment particularly temperatures as in temperate-tropical migration. Some ticks are able to supercool their body temperature despite their soft body.
2. Reduced feeding caused by low metabolism rate which is also important for their host.
3. Increased fat and feathers of their host helps them keep minimal body temperature.
This however is not the case in temperate-tropics migration. Depending on the species of the ticks, they may be evolutionary well adapted to their normal environment where survival, growth and reproduction are at optimum levels. With a possibility of multiple host sources and prey-predator relationships.
Dear, Amowie Aimienoho
Thank you very much for your reply.
The factors you described gave me a lot of help and direction. I want to ask you a question, Will the flight ability of migratory birds not be reduced by the blood-sucking of ticks? Please let me know if you have any thoughts or data on this.
Best