Safety note: Check for ticks after outdoor activity.
The American Dog Tick is one of the most commonly encountered ticks in eastern North America, with a distinctive mottled cream-and-brown pattern on its scutum. It is a vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Adults prefer dogs and large mammals as hosts, while immature stages feed on small rodents. It is active from spring through early summer.
Habitat
Grassy fields, roadsides, and forest edges with meadow vegetation
Diet
All stages: blood of small mammals, dogs, deer, and humans
How common
Common
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