What are a tick's legs called? - briefly
A tick has eight walking legs, generally referred to simply as legs, while the anterior pair are specialized sensory structures called palps. These appendages are characteristic of arachnid morphology.
What are a tick's legs called? - in detail
Ticks belong to the class Arachnida and possess four pairs of walking appendages. Each appendage is formally referred to as a leg, and the collective set is called the pedipalps‑leg complex in some taxonomic texts. The leg is a segmented structure composed of six distinct parts:
- Coxa – basal segment that attaches the leg to the body’s ventral surface.
- Trochanter – short connector between coxa and femur, allowing pivot movement.
- Femur – longest segment, provides bulk and muscular attachment.
- Patella – small hinge segment located between femur and tibia.
- Tibia – slender shaft that supports the distal segments.
- Tarsus – terminal segment ending in a pair of claws; sometimes subdivided into pretarsus and claw.
All four legs share this architecture, enabling ticks to navigate hosts and environments. Sensory organs, including Haller’s organ on the first pair of legs, are embedded in the tarsal region and detect heat, carbon dioxide, and movement. The coordinated action of the six segments on each leg produces the characteristic slow, deliberate locomotion observed in both free‑living and parasitic stages.