ticks
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Some Ticks Pee All Over Themselves While They Suck Blood
Right now, as summer broils the northern hemisphere, countless animals are trying to dump heat. Dogs are panting. Burrowing animals are scurrying underground. Humans are sweating buckets (and we’re extremely good at sweating). But when ticks need to cool off, they really commit. In a blow to the sterling reputation of the tick, new research…
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A New York Man Was Killed By A Rare Brain-Infecting Disease Spread By Ticks
The most dangerous bug in the United States helped kill a New York resident, state health officials reported Friday. The man is believed to have died from a viral disease spread by ticks called Powassan fever. Though cases of Powassan remain rare, it’s one of many tickborne diseases that are becoming more common in the…
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This Stupid Tick Managed To Get Itself Wrapped In Spider Silk — And Then Fossilized In Amber
Around 100 million years ago, a tick ran into some bad luck. It had the misfortune of wandering onto a spider’s web, causing the proprietor to spring into action and wrap the interloping bug in a tomb made of silk. The situation then took a turn for the worse when the tick came into contact…
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These Finches Have A Brilliant Strategy For Fighting Off Ticks
Humans aren’t the only ones worried about the horrible little buggers known as ticks. It seems like at least one bird species safeguards its nests against ticks with a surprising piece of litter. Cigarette butts.