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Tick-induced hair damage
Moose begin grooming
in January, when the nymph stage (that is the stage
after the larva: larva, nymph, adult) begins to feed. Larve and nymphs feed
in
order to molt to the next life stage. Moose are sensitive to feeding ticks
and
are irritated by the process. The irritation might be mechanical as the mouthparts
enter the skin, or immunological (hypersensitivity response to toxins in tick
saliva),
or a combination of both. Whatever the mechanism, moose groom against ticks
extensively in March and April and basically destroy their winter coat. If
most hair
is destroyed (see bottom moose) the moose grey in color because the hair of
moose
is grey at its base. The public and wildlifers call these moose "ghost
moose".
Photo and text provided
by Bill Samuel, University of
Alberta, Canada
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service