Question 1

How many types of ticks are there in the US?

Accepted Answer

There are approximately 90 tick species in the United States. The most commonly encountered species that bite humans include the Deer Tick (Black-legged Tick), Lone Star Tick, American Dog Tick, Brown Dog Tick, Gulf Coast Tick, Rocky Mountain Wood Tick, and Asian Longhorned Tick.

Question 2

How do I identify a tick?

Accepted Answer

To identify a tick, look at its size, color, and markings. Deer ticks are small (poppy-seed sized as nymphs) with dark brown bodies. Lone Star ticks have a distinctive white dot on the female's back. American Dog ticks are larger with silver/white mottled markings. Take a photo and compare against a tick identification chart.

Question 3

Which ticks carry Lyme disease?

Accepted Answer

Only the Deer Tick (Black-legged Tick, Ixodes scapularis) transmits Lyme disease in the eastern and central US. On the West Coast, the Western Black-legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) can also transmit Lyme disease. No other tick species are known to transmit Lyme disease.

Species	Color	Size	Risk	Key Diseases
Deer Tick	Dark brown to black body with reddish-brown legs	Adult female: 3mm unfed	High Risk	Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis
Lone Star Tick	Reddish-brown	Adult female: 4mm unfed	High Risk	Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus
American Dog Tick	Brown with white/silver mottled markings on the back	Adult female: 5mm unfed	Moderate Risk	Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia
Brown Dog Tick	Uniformly reddish-brown with no markings	Adult: 3mm unfed	Lower Risk	Rocky Mountain spotted fever (in Southwest), Canine ehrlichiosis
Asian Longhorned Tick	Light to medium brown, no distinctive markings	Adult: 2–3mm unfed	Moderate Risk	Under investigation — transmits SFTS virus in Asia, Theileriosis (in cattle)
Gulf Coast Tick	Brown with silver-white ornate markings (adults)	Adult female: 4mm unfed	Moderate Risk	Rickettsia parkeri (a milder spotted fever), Heartwater (in animals)
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick	Brown with gray/silver ornate markings	Adult female: 4–5mm unfed	Moderate Risk	Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever

Types of Ticks: Identification Guide

Deer Tick

Lone Star Tick

American Dog Tick

Brown Dog Tick

Asian Longhorned Tick

Gulf Coast Tick

Rocky Mountain Wood Tick

Tick Identification Chart

Quick Tick Identification Tips