TickZone

Tick Identification in Alabama

The ticks you are most likely to find in Alabama, with photos and the size, color, and markings that tell them apart. Only the deer tick carries Lyme disease. Below the chart, see which types live in your county.

Female deer tick (blacklegged tick) on a green leaf, with a reddish-orange body, dark shield, and black legs, no white markings

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

Established in Alabama

Size:
Small, a sesame seed (nymph: a poppy seed)
Look for:
Reddish-orange body, solid dark shield, black legs, no pattern
Carries:
Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan
Full deer tick guide →
Female American dog tick with an ornate off-white and brown mottled shield behind the head

American dog tick

Dermacentor variabilis

Established in Alabama

Size:
Larger, an apple seed
Look for:
Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Full american dog tick guide →
Female lone star tick on a green blade of grass, reddish-brown with a single bright white dot in the center of its back

Lone star tick

Amblyomma americanum

Established in Alabama

Size:
Medium, rounded
Look for:
Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
Carries:
Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
Full lone star tick guide →
Female brown dog tick, uniform reddish-brown with no distinct markings

Brown dog tick

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Found nationwide, the one tick that infests homes and kennels indoors

Size:
Medium, narrow body that tapers toward the head
Look for:
Uniform reddish-brown, no ornate markings
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, canine diseases
Full brown dog tick guide →
Female Gulf Coast tick with an ornate silvery patterned shield

Gulf Coast tick

Amblyomma maculatum

A southern tick spreading north into the mid-Atlantic

Size:
Large, bigger than a lone star
Look for:
Silvery ornate markings on the shield, no single dot
Carries:
Rickettsia parkeri spotted fever
Full gulf coast tick guide →
Female Asian longhorned tick, small and uniform reddish-brown with no markings

Asian longhorned tick

Haemaphysalis longicornis

A newer arrival, established in the mid-Atlantic and spreading north

Size:
Small and plain, often found in large numbers
Look for:
Reddish-brown with no markings
Carries:
Mainly a livestock threat; human disease risk under study
Full asian longhorned tick guide →

Alabama establishment is shown for the three ticks CDC tracks by county; the others carry a regional range note. Source: CDC tick surveillance (ArboNET Tick Module), 2025. County surveillance is coarse: “not established” is a lack of records, not proof a tick is absent.

Deer, dog and lone star ticks by Alabama county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Alabama: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.

CountyDeer tickAmerican dog tickLone star tickGulf Coast tick
Autauga CountyEstablishedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Baldwin CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Barbour CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Bibb CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Blount CountyNot establishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Bullock CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Butler CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Calhoun CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Chambers CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Cherokee CountyNot establishedReportedReportedEstablished
Chilton CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Choctaw CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Clarke CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Clay CountyReportedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Cleburne CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Coffee CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Colbert CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Conecuh CountyEstablishedNot establishedReportedEstablished
Coosa CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Covington CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Crenshaw CountyEstablishedNot establishedNot establishedEstablished
Cullman CountyNot establishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Dale CountyReportedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Dallas CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
DeKalb CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Elmore CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Escambia CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Etowah CountyNot establishedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Fayette CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Franklin CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Geneva CountyReportedNot establishedNot establishedEstablished
Greene CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Hale CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Henry CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Houston CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Jackson CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Jefferson CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lamar CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lauderdale CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Lawrence CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lee CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Limestone CountyNot establishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Lowndes CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Macon CountyNot establishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Madison CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Marengo CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Marion CountyNot establishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Marshall CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Mobile CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Monroe CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Montgomery CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Morgan CountyNot establishedReportedReportedEstablished
Perry CountyNot establishedReportedReportedEstablished
Pickens CountyEstablishedNot establishedEstablishedEstablished
Pike CountyNot establishedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Randolph CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Russell CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Shelby CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
St. Clair CountyNot establishedReportedReportedEstablished
Sumter CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Talladega CountyReportedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Tallapoosa CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Tuscaloosa CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Walker CountyNot establishedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Washington CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Wilcox CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Winston CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Alabama, including Baldwin County, Bibb County, Blount County, Butler County, Calhoun County, Chambers County, Choctaw County, Clarke County, Cleburne County, Colbert County, Coosa County, Cullman County, Dallas County, DeKalb County, Elmore County, Escambia County, Fayette County, Greene County, Hale County, Houston County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lamar County, Lauderdale County, Lawrence County, Lee County, Limestone County, Macon County, Madison County, Marengo County, Marion County, Marshall County, Monroe County, Pickens County, Russell County, Shelby County, Sumter County, Tallapoosa County, Tuscaloosa County, Washington County, Wilcox County, Winston County. Its bite can cause alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.

Do not overlook the tiny ones

Nymph deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed and cause most Lyme cases in Alabama because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Alabama tick risk by town

A daily 0–100 tick-risk score for every town in Alabama.

See Alabama →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Alabama?
Alabama has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease and is established across the state; the American dog tick, which is established; and the lone star tick, which is established and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
Which Alabama tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Alabama. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Alabama?
Yes. The lone star tick is established in Alabama, including Baldwin County, Bibb County, Blount County, Butler County, Calhoun County, Chambers County, Choctaw County, Clarke County, Cleburne County, Colbert County, Coosa County, Cullman County, Dallas County, DeKalb County, Elmore County, Escambia County, Fayette County, Greene County, Hale County, Houston County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lamar County, Lauderdale County, Lawrence County, Lee County, Limestone County, Macon County, Madison County, Marengo County, Marion County, Marshall County, Monroe County, Pickens County, Russell County, Shelby County, Sumter County, Tallapoosa County, Tuscaloosa County, Washington County, Wilcox County, Winston County. It causes alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
How can I tell these ticks apart?
Use size, color, and legs. The deer tick is small with a reddish-orange body, a solid dark shield, and black legs. The American dog tick is larger and brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield. The female lone star tick has a single white dot on her back. The chart above shows each one.