Tick Pictures

What Are Ticks?

Most people think a tick is an insect, but it's actually an arachnid. So, like a spider, a tick has eight legs, not six (although some ticks only have six at certain stages of development).

Ticks are small so they're not always easy to identify, and they are often mistaken for fleas. The tick pictures below will help you distinguish the difference between ticks and fleas. 

Types of Ticks

There are three major families of ticks.

Ixodidae or hard ticks These ticks have thick outer shells made of a substance called chitin. Hard ticks attach themselves to the skin of a host for an extended length of time.

Argasidae or soft ticks These ticks have a membranous outer surface. Soft ticks usually live in crevices and come out for brief periods to feed.

Nuttalliellidae This family of ticks contains one rare African species, Nuttalliella namaqua. 

Tick Pictures 

                         Tick pictured from                    Tick pictured on a hand
                          above and below

Ticks in their natural habitat: woods and grasses

                          Picture of a flea                     3 ticks and 1 flea (upper right)