Tick Identification: North America

Tick Identification is extremely important for a number of reasons; the most important of which, is figuring out what pathogens a tick may carry (and transmit). While it’s typically much easier to identify an adult tick, immature ticks can also transmit diseases.

Of the 800+ species of ticks found throughout the world, only a few are known to bite and transmit disease to humans. There are nine are found in the United States. Naturally occurring populations of the ticks described on this website do not occur in Alaska, however, the brown dog tick is endemic to Hawaii.

If you don’t see exactly the tick you’re looking for, it might be a Tick Lookalike!
Check them all out on this page.