What feeding strategy characterizes the Dermacentor genus regarding hosts?
Answer
They are generally three-host ticks
Ticks belonging to the *Dermacentor* genus, which includes the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick, are predominantly characterized as three-host ticks. This means that each of the three developmental stages—larva, nymph, and adult—must locate and successfully obtain a separate blood meal from a distinct host before they can proceed to the next molt or begin reproduction. This multi-host strategy contrasts with some other tick species, and it requires the tick to navigate different environments and adapt to various host defenses across its lengthy developmental period, potentially broadening the spectrum of pathogens it encounters and transmits.
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