Tick fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are ticks?

Ticks are small arachnids, so they are related to spiders rather than insects. They are parasites, which means they feed on the blood of other animals. Ticks can bite mammals, birds and reptiles, and some species also bite people.

There are almost 900 tick species worldwide, and more than 70 species have been recorded in Australia. In the Sydney region, the best-known species is the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. This species lives along eastern Australia and may feed on native mammals, pets, livestock and people. An illustration of a tick. An adult tick.

Fast facts – Ticks

Scientific name – The best-known local species is Ixodes holocyclus.

Scientific group – Ticks are arachnids in the order Ixodida.

Body features – Ticks have a compact body and mouthparts for piercing skin and feeding. Larvae have 6 legs, while nymphs and adults have 8 legs.

Size – Ticks are very small before feeding, but they can swell after taking a blood meal.

Diet – Ticks feed on blood from a host.

Habitat – Ticks live in humid, sheltered places such as bushland, forest edges, long grass, leaf litter and dense vegetation.

Host-finding – Many hard ticks wait on plants and grab onto passing animals. This is called questing.

Life cycle – Egg → larva → nymph → adult.

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Close-up dorsal view of a tick showing patterned body and legs. A tick before feeding.

Where do ticks live?

Ticks need moist, sheltered conditions so they do not dry out. The Australian paralysis tick is most common in humid coastal bushland and forests along eastern Australia, but ticks can also live in suburban gardens and bush edges where there is long grass, leaf litter and dense vegetation.

Soft ticks often live in places used by their hosts, such as nests, burrows, roosts or bedding areas. At Field of Mars Reserve, shady ground covers, shrubs, trees and leaf litter can all provide suitable habitat for ticks.

Shaded coastal bushland track with dense vegetation (a humid habitat where ticks can live) Coastal national parks provide humid and sheltered habitats for ticks.

What do ticks eat?

Ticks feed on blood. The animal a tick feeds on is called a host. Different tick species prefer different hosts, but many can feed on mammals, birds and reptiles.

A tick uses special mouthparts to attach to the skin. While feeding, it releases saliva that helps it stay attached and take in blood. In some people, tick saliva can also cause allergic reactions.

Short-beaked echidna on the ground showing its sharp spines, stocky body, short legs and long snout. All bushland animals can become a tick host.

What is the life cycle of a tick?

Ticks have four main life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. Larvae hatch from eggs and climb vegetation to find a first host. After feeding, they drop to the ground and moult into a nymph. Nymphs then find another host, feed, and moult into adults.

Adult females need a blood meal before they can produce eggs. After feeding, they drop from the host and lay eggs on the ground. Because ticks need a host at several stages of their life cycle, their survival depends on both suitable habitat and the presence of animals.

Many tiny larval ticks clustered on the tips of grass blades. A macro photo of tick larvae.

What adaptations do ticks have to help them survive?

Ticks have several adaptations that help them find and feed on hosts. Many hard ticks use a behaviour called questing. They climb onto grass or low plants, stretch out their front legs, and wait for an animal to brush past.

Ticks can also sense body heat, moisture, vibration and carbon dioxide. Their mouthparts help them stay attached, and their saliva helps them feed for a long time. Their bodies can expand as they fill with blood, which allows them to take in a large meal before dropping off.

Tick on grass with front legs extended, waiting to attach to a passing animal. Tick questing for a passing animal.

Why are ticks important?

Ticks are not popular animals, but they are still part of bushland ecosystems. They are one of many small invertebrates living in leaf litter, grasses and shrubs, and they are part of the many feeding relationships that connect animals in an ecosystem.

Ticks also show how closely living things are linked. They depend on wildlife hosts and suitable habitat to survive. Studying ticks helps scientists learn more about parasites, animal health and the movement of species through the environment.

Small dark tick perched on the tip of a dry grass stem with its front legs extended. A questing tick waits on a grass stem

How can you stay safe around ticks?

When you visit bushland, wear covered shoes and stay on clear tracks when possible. After being outdoors, ask an adult to check your clothes, hair and skin for ticks.

If you find a tick on you, tell an adult straight away. Do not scratch or squeeze it. Follow current health advice about tick bites and tick allergy. Call 000 immediately if someone has trouble breathing, becomes dizzy, collapses, or shows signs of anaphylaxis after a tick bite.

Am engorged female paralysis tick with a swollen grey body. An engorged tick after feeding.

More invertebrate fact sheets

Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
Arachnids fact sheet

Habitats and ecosystems

Tick hosts

Attributions

References

Australian Museum. n.d. Australian Paralysis Tick. [online] Available at: https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/australian-paralysis-tick/

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care / CDCA. 2023. Guidance note for medical practitioners and hospitals – Introduction to ticks, Australian ticks and tick-borne diseases and illnesses. [pdf] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov.au/system/files/2025-09/guidance-note-for-medical-practitioners-and-hospitals-introduction-to-ticks-australian-ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases-and-illnesses_0.pdf

ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy). n.d. Tick allergy. [online] Available at: https://www.allergy.org.au/ticks

ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy). 2021. How to safely remove ticks (animation). [online] Available at: https://www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/info-updates/how-to-safely-remove-ticks-animation

Healthdirect Australia. n.d. Tick bites – symptoms, treatments and prevention. [online] Available at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tick-bites

NSW Health. n.d. Ticks. [online] Available at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/pests/parasites/Pages/ticks.aspx

Gofton, A.W., Doggett, S., Ratchford, A., Oskam, C. and Paparini, A. 2018. Human Tick-Borne Diseases in Australia. [online] Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6360175/

Images

A tick – Field of Mars EEC illustration.

A tick before feeding – Doggett, S.L. n.d. [Photograph]. © State of New South Wales (Health Administration Corporation – NSW Health Pathology). Used with permission.

An engorged tick after feeding – Doggett, S.L. n.d. [Photograph]. © State of New South Wales (Health Administration Corporation – NSW Health Pathology). Used with permission.

Coastal national parks provide humid and sheltered habitats for ticks – Field of Mars EEC (original image).

All bushland animals can become a tick host – “Tachyglossus aculeatus aculeatus (Short-beaked Echidna or Spiny Anteater)”, Arthur Chapman, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/32005048@N06/3693525272

Tick questing for a passing animal – Doggett, S.L. n.d. [Photograph]. © State of New South Wales (Health Administration Corporation – NSW Health Pathology). Used with permission.

A macro photo of tick larvae – Doggett, S.L. n.d. [Photograph]. © State of New South Wales (Health Administration Corporation – NSW Health Pathology). Used with permission.

A tick life cycle diagram – CDC. Three-Host Tick Life Cycle Diagram. Public domain. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/ticks/modules/three_host_tick_LifeCycle.gif

Tick larvae questing on grass – “File:Rhipicephalus-microplus-larvae-questing.jpg”, Acarologiste, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhipicephalus-microplus-larvae-questing.jpg

A questing tick waits on a grass stem – “File:American Dog Tick (33970820776).jpg”, USFWS Mountain Prairie / Krista Lundgren, Public domain. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Dog_Tick_(33970820776).jpg

Dorsal view of a paralysis tick – NatureMapr Australia, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Available at: https://naturemapr.org/species/7023

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