This is a ventral view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi, formerly Ornithodoros kelleyi, or the “Bat Tick”.

When infested bats leave houses to seek hibernation in caves, the ticks look for available blood meals, and in Iowa, this tick specie is known to bite humans, which causes a severe rash at the bite site, sometimes a big as dinner plates.

Content Providers(s): CDC/ William L. Nicholson, Ph.D, Photo Credit: Jim Gathany

Picture & text from CDC/PHIL. For more information on source & for information on color coding used above for different types of ticks, see Tick Pictures from CDC