

The bacterium carried by the wood tick is a rickettsia, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.Ĭonsidering that the symptoms of both illnesses are very similar, it can be hard to diagnose them without knowing what type of tick you were exposed to.

Wood Tick – There are actually three different varieties of ticks that can carry the same illness that a wood tick carries. Knowing the difference which tick bit you can help a doctor determine which illness you may have been exposed to.ĭeer Ticks – The black-legged tick and the western black-legged ticks are the only ticks that can carry the bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. Deer ticks have a black back Photo Credit: Wikimedia Illnesses of Deer and Wood TicksĮach tick carries its own distinct illnesses as well. The deer ticks lower back is red and a wood tick has a black lower back. The coloring of the lower back is the easiest way to tell the difference.

Adult wood ticks also have a distinctive lighter colored marking near its head. Wood Ticks have a reddish-brown back and a lighter grey abdomen with legs that are a couple of shades lighter red. Deer ticks do not typically have very distinctive markings on their backs. When they are smaller, it can be more difficult to differentiate between the two, but as they grow, it is easier.ĭeer ticks typically have a dark brown to blackish back, a brownish-grey abdomen (where it stores the blood), and black legs. One of the easiest ways to tell a deer tick from a wood tick is the color. They grow to 15 mm long and 10 mm wide when engorged.Ĭolor Differences Between Deer and Regular Ticks Females are about 5 mm long when they aren’t engorged. Wood ticks are generally slightly larger. A deer tick is about ⅛ inch big and a wood tick is a little bigger at about 3/16 inch big.
ENGORGED DEER TICK VS ENGORGED DOG TICK TV
This is due to the stories we have all heard regarding Lyme Disease.įrom popular TV shows to medical horror stories, it is the rare person who has not at least heard of Lyme Disease.
ENGORGED DEER TICK VS ENGORGED DOG TICK MOVIE
Ticks, for their small size, can seem scarier than most horror movie monsters.

Picking the ticks off when you get home, however, takes some of the magic away. Maybe, if you are lucky, you may even spot a mother deer with her fawn. The sounds of the birds and insects, the smell of the vegetation, it all just brings you back to a simpler time. There is something almost magical about hiking or spending time in the woods.
