Hard tick

Tall grass, brushy areas, forests, and leaf litter where they wait for hosts.

Obligate hematophagous; they feed exclusively on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles/amphibians.

They exhibit 'questing' behavior, climbing to the tips of vegetation and extending legs to latch onto passing hosts. They have a complex four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Significant risks to humans and animals as vectors for diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Anaplasmosis. They offer little ecological benefit beyond serving as a food source for some birds and reptiles.