CautionNot food
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Larger ornate tick of fields. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is possible; Lyme is not its usual gift.
- Marks
- White ornament on the shield
- Size
- Apple-seed to pea when full
- Habitat
- Fields, roadsides, dog beds.
- Season
- April–August.
- Frequency
- abundant
Brown tick with creamy white marble marks on the scutum. Prefers grassy paths and dogs.
If this is the one
Same removal as deer tick. Watch for fever, headache, and rash on wrists and ankles.
Lookalikes
Black-legged tick
Ixodes scapularis
Deer tick. Lyme and other diseases. Smallest of the common ticks here.
CautionNot food