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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Parasitiformes » Ticks (Ixodida) » Hard Ticks (Ixodidae) » Ixodes
Photo#149807
Tick on squirrel - Ixodes
Copyright © 2007 John F. Carr

Tick on squirrel - Ixodes
Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
May 22, 2007
Tick (I presume) in squirrel's ear. The host had several ear ticks in May.
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Contributed by John F. Carr on 2 October, 2007 - 8:40pm
Last updated 28 August, 2008 - 2:31pm

Moved
Moved from Ticks.
… John F. Carr, 28 August, 2008 - 2:31pm login or register to post comments

Its the squirrel tick
This is a hard tick (family Ixodidae), in the genus Ixodes (the circum-anal groove is clearly visible). Ixodes marxi is the common "squirrel tick" - this species typically feeds primarily on lysed tissue, not blood, so engorged individuals are pale like this one. - Barry
… Barry M. OConnor, 28 August, 2008 - 2:06pm login or register to post comments

Possible dog tick
I asked a squirrel expert who thought it looked like a dog tick.
… John F. Carr, 14 April, 2008 - 7:43pm login or register to post comments

Looks like a Soft Mammal Tick...
They apparently feed on mammals and birds which have regular sleeping sites. His bed must be infested! I'm sure that little bugger is very annoying.
… Cassie, 2 October, 2007 - 9:42pm login or register to post comments

 
Moved
I moved the image to Ticks (Ixodida) pending precise identification or creation of a soft ticks page.
… John F. Carr, 3 October, 2007 - 7:31pm login or register to post comments

 
New family?
The soft tick family does not have a page on bugguide yet. I'm surprised. Here is another image of a different squirrel that same month with two ticks in her ear.

… John F. Carr, 3 October, 2007 - 11:18am login or register to post comments

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