Hard Tick

Wooded areas, tall grass, leaf litter, and shrubs where they wait for hosts.

Obligate hematophages (blood-feeders), consuming blood from mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles.

They exhibit 'questing' behavior by climbing to the tips of vegetation and extending their legs to latch onto passing hosts. They undergo four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Significant risk as vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Anaplasmosis. They have no direct benefits to humans, though they are a food source for some birds and reptiles.