Blacklegged / deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Dark legs and front shield; adult females can show a reddish-brown rear body. Compare several traits, not color alone.
CDC / Michael L. Levin; photo Jim Gathany. Public-domain source and full image
Tick Identification Chart and Visual Comparisons
Explore a small reference set for the contiguous United States. Compare visible traits and life stages without treating a chart match as a species diagnosis or disease assessment.
Compare tick references
These examples are adult females, except where explicitly labeled. The filters narrow reference cards; they do not identify your specimen or assess infection. Images are enlarged and are not shown at life size.
5 reference examples. Region is approximate; ticks can occur outside mapped ranges.
Western blacklegged tick
Ixodes pacificus
An adult female blacklegged-type tick from the western reference set. Similar-looking Ixodes ticks may need microscopic characters.
CDC / William L. Nicholson; photo James Gathany. Public-domain source and full image
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
The adult female can show one pale spot on her back. Males and immature ticks do not have this same female pattern.
CDC / Amanda Loftis, William Nicholson, Will Reeves, Chris Paddock; photo James Gathany. Public-domain source and full image
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Reference illustration of the ornate front shield of an adult female. Related western Dermacentor ticks can look similar.
CDC / Henry D. Pratt. Public-domain source and full image
Brown dog tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Brown coloration and a dog-associated setting are only clues. This group occurs widely and needs closer examination to confirm.
CDC / Division of Vector-Borne Diseases; photo Lauren Bishop. Public-domain source and full image
Compare common lookalikes
Compare dark versus ornate shield patterns only when clearly visible on an adult. American dog, Rocky Mountain wood, lone star and blacklegged ticks have lookalikes; this simplified reference set is not a diagnostic key.
Life stage, size and engorgement
Egg, larva, nymph and adult are different stages. A fed tick can look larger and rounder than an unfed one. Use a ruler beside a detached specimen when safe; screen size and a photo without scale cannot establish its real size or attachment duration.
Source images: CDC Public Health Image Library, public domain and available there without charge. Use of these materials does not imply endorsement by CDC, HHS or the U.S. Government. The original images are reproduced without substantive alteration.
Do not wait for a chart match before addressing an attached tick. Follow current public-health removal guidance; for a pet or an uncertain attached object, ask a veterinarian. The appearance or species of a tick cannot show whether it carries a pathogen.
CDC: what to do after a tick biteUse a reference chart as a starting point
A reference photograph shows one specimen, sex and feeding state. An adult-female example is not a universal picture of every member of that species. Keep uncertain observations uncertain.
Region narrows a comparison, not a diagnosis
The East and West filters use broad contiguous-U.S. context. They are incomplete and not range boundaries: travel and changing distributions can put ticks outside a familiar location.
Visible traits can be hard to read
Leg counts, markings and mouthparts may be hidden, damaged or too small in an ordinary photograph. Engorgement changes appearance. A pale patch caused by glare is not the same evidence as a resolved anatomical marking.
Respond to a finding rather than waiting for a name
Use current public-health guidance for an attached tick. For pets, speak with your veterinarian. A photo or chart cannot diagnose a skin lesion, measure infection risk, or establish how long a tick was attached.
References
Related free tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this tell whether a tick carries disease?
No. Neither a species match nor a photograph determines whether an individual tick carries a pathogen or whether transmission occurred.
Are the pictures shown at actual size?
No. Images resize to fit your screen. Use a physical ruler or an appropriately scaled specimen reference; do not measure an on-screen tick.
Why are nymphs and males not matched by the filters?
The filtered comparison cards show adult females. The life-stage illustration adds context, but immature and male identification needs suitable references or an expert.
Can it tell a tick from a skin tag on my pet?
No. This chart cannot diagnose attached bumps. If unsure, do not cut or pull the object; ask a veterinarian.
Continue in the app
Use Tick Detector - Tickzen for the full guided result after this quick check.
