Tick (likely a hard tick)

Ticks occur in vegetation, leaf litter, and areas frequented by wildlife or pets; they may enter homes on hosts.

All life stages feed on the blood of vertebrates, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Ticks do not fly or jump; they wait on vegetation or crawl onto hosts, attach, and feed for hours or days. Their life cycle includes egg, larval, nymphal, and adult stages.

Bites can cause irritation and, in some species, transmit diseases. Ticks also serve as food for some wildlife; the pictured specimen is too small and blurry for species-level identification.