What does a freshly attached tick look like? - briefly
A newly attached tick appears as a small, swollen, reddish‑brown bump with its mouthparts embedded in the skin, often covered by a transparent, gelatinous cement. The body is slightly engorged and may be partially hidden beneath the host’s skin.
What does a freshly attached tick look like? - in detail
A tick that has just begun feeding presents a distinct set of visual characteristics that differ markedly from its unfed stage. The body expands rapidly as blood fills the abdomen, creating a pronounced, rounded silhouette. The dorsal shield (scutum) remains visible but may appear stretched, while the ventral side bulges outward, giving the organism a balloon‑like shape. The mouthparts—particularly the hypostome—are firmly embedded in the host’s skin, often visible as a small, dark protrusion at the front of the body. The legs, normally positioned laterally, become splayed and may be partially concealed by the engorged abdomen, yet they retain their characteristic eight‑segmented appearance. Coloration shifts from the pale, brownish hue of an unfed tick to a deeper, reddish‑brown tone due to the ingested blood. The surface texture becomes smoother as the cuticle stretches, though the dorsal shield retains its fine, leathery pattern. In summary, a newly attached tick is identifiable by:
- Rapid abdominal enlargement, producing a spherical, swollen form
- Darkened, blood‑filled coloration
- Visible hypostome inserted into host tissue
- Splayed legs partially hidden by the engorged body
- Stretched scutum with retained texture
These features collectively signal the initial stage of attachment and feeding.