What does a tick look like when it has embedded itself? - briefly
When fully attached, a tick swells into a rounded, pea‑sized mass with a smooth gray‑brown exterior and its legs tucked against the skin. The barbed mouthparts (hypostome) appear as a tiny dark point protruding from the attachment site.
What does a tick look like when it has embedded itself? - in detail
A tick that has successfully attached and begun feeding expands dramatically. The body swells from a few millimeters to several centimeters, depending on species and stage. The abdomen becomes rounded and balloon‑like, often turning from a light brown or reddish hue to a darker, engorged color. The dorsal shield (scutum) remains relatively unchanged in size, giving the tick a characteristic hourglass silhouette when fully fed.
The mouthparts—particularly the hypostome, a barbed feeding tube—penetrate the skin and remain visible as a small, dark protrusion at the attachment site. Surrounding skin may appear reddened, irritated, or slightly raised, forming a small halo around the tick’s base. In some cases, a thin, translucent waxy coating (the tick’s cuticle) covers the feeding area, making the organism appear glossy.
Key visual indicators of an embedded tick:
- Size increase: from 1–3 mm (unfed) to 5–15 mm (engorged) in adults.
- Abdominal shape: rounded, distended, and often more convex than the unengorged form.
- Color shift: lighter, reddish‑brown to dark brown or black as blood fills the body.
- Mouthpart exposure: a small, dark, pointed structure protruding from the skin.
- Skin reaction: localized erythema, mild swelling, or a faint halo surrounding the tick.
- Leg visibility: legs may be retracted or partially hidden beneath the swollen abdomen, reducing their visibility.
Stage‑specific details:
- Larvae (seed ticks): tiny, less than 1 mm, pale, with a smooth, oval body; after feeding, they become noticeably larger but remain translucent.
- Nymphs: 1–2 mm, darker before feeding; engorgement yields a noticeable size increase and a more pronounced oval shape.
- Adults: largest, with a distinct scutum on the dorsal side; engorged females can swell to over 10 mm, while males enlarge less dramatically.
When a tick is fully embedded, the combination of a swollen abdomen, visible hypostome, and localized skin changes provides a clear, identifiable profile for detection and removal.