A series of backward-facing projections on the hypostome make it difficult to remove the tick from the skin. Most ticks also secrete a sticky substance that glues them into place. This substance dissolves when the tick is done feeding. Their external body surface expands from 200 to 600 percent to accommodate the blood that is ingested. At each stage they feed on a mammal, reptile, or bird host.
Ticks wait for a host by perching on leaves or other surfaces with their front two legs extended.
When a host brushes up against them they latch on and attach themselves. Adult female hard ticks lay a single batch of thousands of eggs and then die. Adult male ticks also die after a single mating. As parasites go, ticks can be very nasty. They transmit more disease than any other blood-sucking parasite, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and relapsing fever.