The black-legged tick, or deer tick, is a small arachnid ectoparasite native to eastern North America that feeds on the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles across its three-stage life cycle. It is the primary vector of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and several other pathogens of significant public health concern, making it one of the most medically important arthropods in North America. Ticks do not jump or fly but instead practise ‘questing’ — climbing vegetation and extending their forelegs to grab passing hosts.
About the Tick
Ixodes scapularis
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💡 Fun Facts
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Ticks can detect the carbon dioxide exhaled by hosts from several metres away using a specialised sensory organ called Haller's organ.
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A blood-fed female black-legged tick can expand up to 200 times her unfed body weight after engorgement.
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Ticks are capable of transmitting Lyme disease bacteria to a host within 36-48 hours of attachment.
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They can survive without a blood meal for up to a year between life stages in cool, humid conditions.
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Tick saliva contains dozens of bioactive compounds including anticoagulants, immunosuppressants, and anaesthetics.
📍 Where to Find This Animal
Habitat Types:
Forest & Grassland
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