American Dog Tick (Female) - Dermacentor variabilis

Female American Dog Ticks are reddish-brown and have a white or yellowish pattern on their scutum.

Habitat: This tick hitched a ride on my son while we were hiking through a meadow.

comments (2)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Really nice to get such good closeups of ticks. As much as they are feared, they have an amazing biology. Posted 6 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  I agree. They are fearsome, but so fascinating. In grad school, I did some experiments with ticks where I had to extract their salivary glands. Their insides are even more interesting than their outsides. Posted 6 years ago

The American dog tick

''Dermacentor variabilis'', also known as the American dog tick or wood tick, is a species of tick that is known to carry bacteria responsible for several diseases in humans, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia . It is one of the most well-known hard ticks.

Info 9 0

Similar species: Ticks

Species identified by Christine Young