The slow moving, American dog tick is the largest of the ticks discussed in this pamphlet.  It has short mouth parts and the female has a creamy, white shield on her back.  The back of the male is mottled, gray and dark brown (Fig. 2).  The larvae and nymphs feed on small and medium sized wild mammals in the woods and grasslands and are seldom seen.  The adults feed on dogs, cats and humans and are often seen in late April, May, June and early July.

The American dog tick, the tick that most people see, occurs in all of Indiana's 92 counties, although  its abundance varies greatly from one area to another.  The number of ticks one finds depends on environmental conditions, such as soil type, number of small mammals present and amount of vegetation.  Optimal conditions for the American dog tick are apt to be found almost anywhere in Indiana.