Sex makes the tick 100 times bigger

Sex can make you obese if you're a female tick. After mating, the female tick can expand 100 times its original size.

Why that tiny tick can grow so big after sex is still a mystery. Did they reward themselves with a hearty meal after completing a human-like mission? Not exactly so, said Reuben Kaufman, a scientist at the University of Alberta, Canada.The

After mating, the female tick can expand 100 times its original size (Photo: Physorg.com).

Lifestyle differences between African ticks, or ioxid, with other blood-sucking partners may be the cause of such dizzying weight gain.

Kaufman compared the weight gain of ticks with flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and fleas and found no species that could rival the ability to gain dizzying weight like a tick.

The species of ioxid mates while sucking blood on the client, including animals, humans and birds."Most other insects that are related before or after eating - two actions are mutually exclusive, but not with these mites," Kaufman said.

And not just flashes, they remain on the client for a few days to a few weeks in the mating cycle. While waiting for the partner to act, the virgin children will attach themselves to the client, slowly sucking blood. The speed of meals ensures to keep children a slender, underweight body needed to lay eggs. If this undemanded virgin was swept out of the client, it would still have a chance to find another client and make love there. If the creature reaches the weight needed to spawn, it will not be able to climb up another client and live on it again.

Kaufman argues that one reason a fat female doesn't look for another client is because when it exceeds its essential weight, its salivary gland is broken so it can't suck blood. And when there is no client, it means not finding a partner.

Male mites also play an important role in making her fat. Its semen contains 2 proteins that swell to signal that the female will not stop fat until she reaches 1,000 mg.

Mites infects infectious diseases in cattle and wildlife and ranks second after mosquitoes that transmit pathogens to humans. Therefore, Kaufman hopes the research will help find a tick kill vaccine.

(Photo: LiveScience)

MT