Tick (likely an engorged hard tick)

Grassy, wooded, and brushy habitats; commonly encountered on mammals, birds, pets, and people.

Feeds exclusively on blood from vertebrate hosts. An attached female may remain feeding for several days and swell substantially.

Ticks crawl through vegetation and attach to passing hosts; they do not jump or fly. After feeding, females usually drop off to lay eggs, while some species transmit between hosts during multiple life stages.

May transmit Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other pathogens; prompt removal reduces risk. They are also natural components of food webs, serving as prey and influencing host populations.