Community identification
Dog Tick or Wood Tick
Dermacentor variabilis (or similar Ixodidae species)
- Order & Family
- Order: Ixodida, Family: Ixodidae
- Size
- 3mm to 5mm (unfed), up to 15mm when fully engorged.
Natural Habitat
Grassy areas, leaf litter, and woodland paths where animal hosts frequently pass.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles.
Behavior Patterns
They exhibit 'questing' behavior, climbing to the tips of vegetation to wait for a host to brush by. They undergo three life stages: larva, nymph, and adult.
Risks & Benefits
Significant risk as vectors for diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia. They have no known direct benefits to humans or the ecosystem beyond being a minor food source for some birds and reptiles.