Animal Profiles
Arachnids

Tick

Ixodida

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Ticks are parasitic arachnids rather than insects. This account describes the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), focusing on eastern North American populations.

Magnified photograph of Dermacentor variabilis, the representative described here.

Magnified photograph of Dermacentor variabilis, the representative described here.

Sam Droege · CC BY

At a glance

Location
American dog ticks use woodland, grassy edges and trails where mammal hosts pass.
Habitat
Temperate forest, Grassland
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Different life stages obtain blood meals from mammals.

Classification

Common name
Tick
Browse group
Arachnids
Scientific name or taxon
Ixodida
Taxon rank
order
Order
Ixodida
Source classification
Arachnida

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Adults have eight legs.
  • Their food is mammal blood.
  • Questing helps them encounter hosts.

Habitat and range

American dog ticks use woodland, grassy edges and trails where mammal hosts pass. Between meals they wait in vegetation; older sources also included western populations in a broader species treatment.

Appearance and adaptations

Adults have eight legs and a rounded body with pale ornamental markings on a darker background. Their mouthparts anchor into a host during feeding.

Diet and behaviour

Different life stages obtain blood meals from mammals. Waiting on vegetation for a passing host is known as questing.

Sources

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