Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Oklahoma
- 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
Tick Identification in Oklahoma
The ticks you are most likely to find in Oklahoma, 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.
Carries Lyme
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Established in Oklahoma
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Established in Oklahoma
- Size:
- Medium, rounded
- Look for:
- Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
- Carries:
- Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
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
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
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
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Not established in Oklahoma
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white and gray marbled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia
Pacific Coast tick
Dermacentor occidentalis
Not established in Oklahoma
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Oklahoma: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.
| County | Deer tick | American dog tick | Lone star tick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Alfalfa County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Atoka County | Established | Established | Established |
| Beaver County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Beckham County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Blaine County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Bryan County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Caddo County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Canadian County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Carter County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Cherokee County | Established | Established | Established |
| Choctaw County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Cimarron County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Cleveland County | Established | Established | Established |
| Coal County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Comanche County | Established | Established | Established |
| Cotton County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Craig County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Creek County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Custer County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Delaware County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Dewey County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Ellis County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Garfield County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Garvin County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Grady County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Grant County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Greer County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Harmon County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Harper County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Haskell County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Hughes County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Jackson County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Jefferson County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Johnston County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Kay County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Kingfisher County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Kiowa County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Latimer County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Le Flore County | Established | Established | Established |
| Lincoln County | Established | Established | Established |
| Logan County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Love County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Major County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Marshall County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Mayes County | Established | Reported | Established |
| McClain County | Established | Established | Established |
| McCurtain County | Reported | Established | Established |
| McIntosh County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Murray County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Muskogee County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Noble County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Nowata County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Okfuskee County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Oklahoma County | Established | Established | Established |
| Okmulgee County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Osage County | Established | Established | Established |
| Ottawa County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Pawnee County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Payne County | Established | Established | Established |
| Pittsburg County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Pontotoc County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Pottawatomie County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Pushmataha County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Roger Mills County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Rogers County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Seminole County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Sequoyah County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Stephens County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Texas County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Tillman County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Tulsa County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Wagoner County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Washington County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Washita County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Woods County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Woodward County | Not established | Reported | Established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Oklahoma in 69 of 77 counties (see the table above). 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 Oklahoma because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of ticks live in Oklahoma?
- Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Oklahoma. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Oklahoma?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Oklahoma, in 69 of the state's 77 counties (Adair County, Alfalfa County, Atoka County and more, listed in the table above). 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.