Engorged Tick

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

Obligate blood-feeders; they consume the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles.

They utilize a behavior called 'questing' by climbing to the tips of vegetation and extending legs to grab passing hosts.

Significant health risks as vectors for diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Ehrlichiosis; no known benefits to humans.