The American dog tick is which species?

The American dog tick is which species?

• A. Dermacentor variabilis
• B. Rhipicephalus sanguineus
• C. Ixodes dammini
• D. Dermacentor albipictus

Answer: (A)

The American dog tick is Dermacentor variabilis. This species is the classic dog tick found across much of the United States and is well known in veterinary contexts for feeding on dogs (and humans) and for transmitting Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. The other options are different ticks with different common names: the brown dog tick is Rhipicephalus sanguineus; the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis, previously named Ixodes dammini) is associated with Lyme disease; and Dermacentor albipictus is the winter tick that primarily parasitizes large mammals like elk and moose.

The American dog tick is Dermacentor variabilis. This species is the classic dog tick found across much of the United States and is well known in veterinary contexts for feeding on dogs (and humans) and for transmitting Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. The other options are different ticks with different common names: the brown dog tick is Rhipicephalus sanguineus; the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis, previously named Ixodes dammini) is associated with Lyme disease; and Dermacentor albipictus is the winter tick that primarily parasitizes large mammals like elk and moose.