What does a tick look like once it has attached?

What does a tick look like once it has attached? - briefly

After it inserts its mouthparts, the tick appears as a small, flattened, gray‑brown disc that may swell and become more translucent as it fills with blood. The head (capitulum) remains visible, often as a tiny, dark point at the front of the body.

What does a tick look like once it has attached? - in detail

After a tick secures itself to a host, its appearance changes markedly from the free‑living stage. The body expands as it fills with blood, creating a smooth, rounded silhouette that can be several times larger than the original unfed organism. The dorsal shield (scutum) remains visible but may appear stretched, while the ventral side becomes a swollen, fleshy mass.

Key visual characteristics include:

  • Size: Enlarged to several millimeters in length; some species reach 5–10 mm when fully engorged.
  • Shape: Oval to spherical outline, lacking the distinct legs that are evident before attachment.
  • Color: Ranges from pale beige to deep reddish‑brown, often described as a “blood‑filled” hue.
  • Surface texture: Glossy and moist, reflecting the blood within; the cuticle may appear slightly translucent.
  • Mouthparts: The hypostome, a barbed feeding tube, protrudes from the ventral side and anchors into the skin; it is not usually visible from above but can be felt as a small protrusion.
  • Legs: Still present but retracted against the body, making them difficult to discern without close inspection.

In cross‑section, the tick consists of an engorged abdomen (the idiosoma) filled with a liquid meal, while the anterior capitulum houses the feeding apparatus. The engorged tick may shift position slightly as it stretches the surrounding skin, creating a small, raised bump on the host’s surface. This morphology distinguishes a feeding tick from a detached or unfed specimen.