What does a tick look like and how many legs does it have?

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What does a tick look like and how many legs does it have? - briefly
Ticks are small, oval arachnids, typically 2–5 mm long, with a flattened, reddish‑brown body and a scutum covering the dorsal surface of adult females. As arachnids, they possess eight legs.

What does a tick look like and how many legs does it have? - in detail
Ticks are small arachnids, typically 2–5 mm long when unfed and up to 10 mm after a blood meal. Their bodies consist of two main sections: the anterior capitulum, which houses the mouthparts, and the posterior idiosoma, covered by a tough, leathery cuticle. Color ranges from reddish‑brown in unfed individuals to dark brown or gray after engorgement. The dorsal surface bears a smooth or slightly textured shield (scutum) in males and some females, while females that have fed often display a stretched, unpatterned abdomen.
Ticks possess eight walking legs, characteristic of the class Arachnida. Each leg ends in a pair of claws that aid attachment to hosts. In the larval stage, only six legs are present; the additional pair develops during the nymphal molt. The leg arrangement follows a standard pattern: four pairs on the ventral side, numbered I–IV from front to back.
Key points on leg morphology:

Six legs in the larva (three pairs).
Eight legs in nymphs and adults (four pairs).
Legs equipped with sensory organs (Haller’s organ) on the first pair, detecting carbon dioxide, heat, and vibrations.
Muscular articulation allows precise movement for climbing vegetation and attaching to hosts.