How to identify a Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
· Also called wood tick, dermacentor andersoni, RM wood tick, colorado wood tick, wood tick colorado
In the Rockies, the classic mountain “wood tick” is Dermacentor andersoni, not the eastern dog tick and not a deer tick.
Spring in the Rockies, ornate wood tick on sage or pine trail margins. Not a deer tick. RMSF, Colorado tick fever, rarely tick paralysis (check a child’s scalp). Fever after a mountain hike is a same-week visit. Elevation and month are ID clues.
What does a rocky mountain wood tick look like?
Ornate white-marked scutum like other Dermacentor. Adults quest on grass along alpine and sage trails at elevation.
Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) is Similar to American dog tick. Colors people notice: brown, white, silver. Field marks: Ornate white-marked scutum like other Dermacentor; Found at elevation and in sage/grass country; Adults quest on grass along trails. It is found outdoor. If those marks are missing, open American dog tick, Deer tick before you force this name. Search phrases that belong on this page include what a rocky mountain wood tick looks like and rocky mountain wood tick identification.
Identification marks
- Ornate white-marked scutum like other Dermacentor
- Found at elevation and in sage/grass country
- Adults quest on grass along trails
Size: Similar to American dog tick
Colors: brown, white, silver
Where: outdoor
What a typical rocky mountain wood tick bite looks like
Red attachment site. RMSF, Colorado tick fever, and rarely tick paralysis are regional concerns. Fever after a mountain hike needs prompt care.
People searching “rocky mountain wood tick bite identification” want the pattern, not a single anonymous bump. Red attachment site. RMSF, Colorado tick fever, and rarely tick paralysis are regional concerns. Immediate steps on this page: Remove, clean, save the tick; Fever after a mountain hike needs prompt medical care; Soothe local itch only if there is no spreading rash or fever. This species does bite or sting people. Fever, spreading redness, trouble breathing, or a child with many stings is professional care.
If you were bitten
- Remove, clean, save the tick
- Fever after a mountain hike needs prompt medical care
- Soothe local itch only if there is no spreading rash or fever
Rocky Mountain wood tick vs American dog tick
This is the mountain wood tick, not the eastern dog tick and not a deer tick. Ornate scutum, elevation, spring. Colorado tick fever and RMSF are the regional reasons ID matters.
- American dog tick identification (Dermacentor variabilis)
- Deer tick identification (Ixodes scapularis)
- Pacific Coast tick identification (Dermacentor occidentalis)
Range and season
Rockies and adjacent high plains. Spring to early summer at mid elevations.
Rockies and high plains, sage and pine trail margins, spring to early summer.
Rocky Mountains and adjacent high plains and interior West. The classic mountain “wood tick.”
Spring to early summer at mid elevations
Common questions
Wood tick in Colorado vs the East?
In the Rockies it is usually D. andersoni; in the East, D. variabilis. Both are ornate Dermacentor ticks.
Do they transmit Lyme?
Not the main Lyme ticks. Other illnesses (RMSF, Colorado tick fever) matter more here.
When are they active?
Cooler spring and early summer, often before midsummer heat.
What tick is in Colorado mountains?
Often the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) in spring and early summer.
What tick is in the Colorado mountains?
Often Dermacentor andersoni in spring. Confirm with a photo; range overlaps other species at lower elevation.
Does the Rocky Mountain wood tick carry Lyme?
It is not the Ixodes Lyme tick. RMSF and Colorado tick fever are the named concerns.