A brown dog tick.
The different species of ticks include ticks that are usually identified by their coloration and sometimes by distinctive markings on their bodies. Ticks may also be named for the animals they frequently feed on; an example is the deer tick. Several other species of ticks include the black tick and the brown dog tick. Tick identification is an important factor in determining the best methods for removing ticks that feed on animals and humans. Knowledge of the different species of ticks can also help medical professionals decide if a tick host is at risk for a disease that some ticks carry.
Deer ticks normally live on adult deer due to their abundant blood supply.
Brown ticks are one of the most common species of ticks that are often found in kennels and other areas of homes that are warm and dark, such as under rugs and in cracks in walls. This tick feeds primarily on dogs and is rarely found on humans; most of the time, it sticks to the creases of a dog’s ears or the crevices between the toes. Brown dog ticks have naturally migrated over time to a wide variety of geographic regions and climates, although they are native to tropical regions and often do not survive cold winters.
When ticks bite, they can spread neurotoxins to humans.
Black ticks can sometimes pose greater risks to humans and animals, as this species of tick is often known to carry Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can lead to serious complications if left untreated. These types of ticks can obtain their nutrition from both warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals; they may also wait in the same spot outdoors for long periods of time before a host arrives. After a black tick has fed uninterruptedly on a host for several hours, it can swell to the point where its abdominal sac turns white due to stretching and creates the appearance of a white tick.
Depending on sex and type, ticks can expand to different sizes, as large as a grape or as small as an apple seed, when they feed on blood.
Other common types of ticks include the lone star tick and the Rocky Mountain tick; these two types are generally prevalent in certain mountainous areas of the eastern and southeastern United States. The lone star tick gets its name from a star-shaped pattern on its protective outer shell. Although this species of tick does not usually transmit Lyme disease, a bite from one of them can cause noticeable rashes in some people. The Rocky Mountain tick is similar in appearance to the brown dog tick and is a known carrier of another type of infection called Rocky Mountain spotted fever.