Parasitic arachnids, related to mites, that feed on the blood of mammals, birds and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Adults are 3–5 mm long but swell when they feed. Because they drink blood from host after host, they spread many serious diseases.
Quick answers
What is it?Arachnid
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Ticks spread serious diseases, such as Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
ColoursBrown, Black, Grey
SizeTiny
LengthAdults 3–5 mm before feeding
Legs8
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for2–3 years
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide, especially in warm, humid climates; ticks even feed on penguins in Antarctica.
- What it eats
- Blood only, from mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Did you know
Waits on grass tips with its front legs held out to grab a passing host, and it spreads Lyme disease.
Larval ticks hatch with six legs and get their last pair after their first blood meal.
Ticks can survive in a near vacuum for as long as half an hour.
Often confused with
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