Tick
Tick, common name for members of a group of large mitelike arachnids parasitic on mammals , birds , and reptiles . All ticks are bloodsucking parasites . Ticks are found in most parts of the world but are generally limited to those habitats frequented by their hosts—namely, woods, tall grass , and shrubby vegetation—where they climb onto plants and wait to jump on a passing host. Ticks are actually a specialized group of mites and share many features with other mites. In general, they are larger than most mites, ranging from about 0.2 to 0.6 cm (about 0.08 to 0.24 in) in length, although females may be 1 cm (0.4 in) or more in diameter when fully engorged with blood. The adult tick has a mitelike body with a tough skin and four pairs of clawed legs; tick larvae have only three pairs of legs. The mouthparts consist of a paired anchoring organ, or rostrum, covered with backward-curving hooks and equivalent to the pedipalps of other arachnids; and a pair of sharp mandibles that move back