Attack of the Giant Tick

The Rocky Mountain wood tick ( Dermacentor andersoni ) is usually found in the most arid areas of the Rocky Mountains, but can be found in varying areas of North America . Adult and nymph ticks have eight legs while larval and seed ticks only have six. Females also have a distinctive white shield near the head and front of the body; males have no distinctive shield but are covered in a mottled gray pattern. The Rocky Mountain wood tick is a 3-host life-cycle tick, seeking a new host every one to three years. Ticks hatch in the spring and seek meals from small rodents like mice and chipmunks. As they develop into larger nymphs they seek larger hosts like rabbits and skunks. Nymph ticks that fail to find a host will hibernate during the winter; adult ticks also hibernate during the cold season, but with a low survival rate of ten percent. Ticks feed for approximately a week before mating; a female can grow from 5 mg to 700 mg when engorged and lays several thousands eggs before dying. Rocky Mountain woo