Tick

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

Hematophagous; they feed exclusively on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Ticks use a behavior called questing, where they hold onto leaves or grass with their back legs and reach out with their front legs to grab onto a passing host. Once on a host, they find a suitable spot to attach and feed for several days.

Ticks are major vectors of diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and several others. They are generally considered pests with no significant known benefits to human ecosystems.