Quick Facts

Scientific name:  Acari

Size:  Up to 8mm

Distribution:  Found throughout the UK

Months seen:  April to October

Habitat:  Grassland, leaf litter and on host animals

Food:  Females feed on bird and mammal blood.  The adult males do not feed

Special features:  There are more than 20 tick species in the UK, the most common being the sheep tick.  As well as being found on sheep it can also live on most birds and mammals.  Ticks belong to the order of animals called Acari, a subclass of Arachnida.

Ticks are small and globular, with a leathery greyish-white or black body.  The adults have 8 articulated legs, and a non-segmented body.  They are external parasites, which suck the blood of animals.  The amount of blood a tick drinks can be 200 times its body weight.

Ticks carry diseases, including lyme disease.  Where possible avoid handling them with uncovered fingers.  To avoid picking up any ticks, wear long sleeved shirts, shoes and long trousers tucked into your socks.  The use of tick repellents on the outside of clothing can also help.

Related Pages

• What's Lyme Disease?
• How to Safely Remove a Tick
• The Life Cycle of the Tick
• UK Safari Creepy-Crawlies Section
• Identify other wildlife
• Free Newsletter