How many legs do a tick and a spider have? - briefly
A tick possesses eight legs. A spider also has eight legs.
How many legs do a tick and a spider have? - in detail
Ticks belong to the class Arachnida, which characteristically possesses eight walking legs. In the adult stage the organism exhibits four pairs of legs attached to the idiosoma. The larval stage, called the seed tick, bears only six legs (three pairs); after the first molt it acquires the full complement of eight. The legs are segmented into coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus and tarsus, each bearing sensory organs and claws for attachment to hosts.
Spiders are also arachnids and retain eight legs throughout their life cycle. All mature individuals display four pairs of locomotory appendages, each with the same seven‑segment arrangement as in ticks. Pedipalps, located anterior to the first pair of legs, function as sensory and reproductive structures but are not counted as legs. Leg length, scopulae and setae vary among families, influencing hunting strategies and web construction.
Leg count summary
- Tick (larva): 6 legs (3 pairs)
- Tick (nymph and adult): 8 legs (4 pairs)
- Spider (all stages): 8 legs (4 pairs)
The distinction lies in the temporary six‑legged larval phase of ticks; spiders never deviate from eight legs. Both groups share the arachnid body plan, yet their appendage specialization reflects different ecological roles.