There are a lot of tick species in the United States, but only a few bite humans. The ticks included below are commonly found on humans and pets in the Northeast and Midwest. You might need a magnifying glass or you may need to zoom in on a picture to see the details on your tick. Nymphs are very small!
Synonyms
Ticks can be big and small
The size of a tick is dependent on:
The dog / wood tick is the bigger than the blacklegged / deer tick and the lone star tick.
After a full blood meal:
The shield (scutum)
Cookie cutters (Festoons)
Cookie-cutter pattern on the edge of the tick
Powerpoint: Tick identification
Tick identification services
Several universities, public health agencies, commercial companies and other entities offer tick identification and pathogen testing of your tic
Different tick species transmit different pathogens, so it helps to know which species bit you. You can send the image of your tick or tick to us, but we are not testing them. Even if a tick is tested for pathogens and none were detected, that does not mean that there is zero chance of you developing a disease. There is the chance that other ticks might have been attached to you and gone unnoticed (they are very small!).
Submit a picture:
Submit the actual tick for ID and testing: