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.

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.

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.

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

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

Full deer tick guide →

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)

Full american dog tick guide →

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

Full lone star tick guide →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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	Gulf Coast tick
Adair County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Alfalfa County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Atoka County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Beaver County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Beckham County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Blaine County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Bryan County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Caddo County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Canadian County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Carter County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Cherokee County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Choctaw County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Cimarron County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Cleveland County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Coal County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Comanche County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Cotton County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Craig County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Creek County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Custer County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Delaware County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Dewey County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Ellis County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Garfield County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Garvin County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Grady County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Grant County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Greer County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Harmon County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Harper County	Not established	Established	Not established	Reported
Haskell County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Hughes County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Jackson County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Jefferson County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Johnston County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Kay County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Kingfisher County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Kiowa County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Latimer County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Le Flore County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Lincoln County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Logan County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Love County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Major County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Marshall County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Mayes County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
McClain County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
McCurtain County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
McIntosh County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Murray County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Muskogee County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Noble County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Nowata County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Okfuskee County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Oklahoma County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Okmulgee County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Osage County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Ottawa County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Pawnee County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Payne County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Pittsburg County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Pontotoc County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Pottawatomie County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Pushmataha County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Roger Mills County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Rogers County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Seminole County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Sequoyah County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Stephens County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Texas County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Tillman County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Tulsa County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Wagoner County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Washington County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Washita County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Woods County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Woodward County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Oklahoma, including Adair County, Alfalfa County, Atoka County, Blaine County, Bryan County, Caddo County, Canadian County, Carter County, Cherokee County, Choctaw County, Cimarron County, Cleveland County, Coal County, Comanche County, Cotton County, Craig County, Creek County, Custer County, Delaware County, Dewey County, Garfield County, Garvin County, Grady County, Grant County, Harmon County, Haskell County, Hughes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Johnston County, Kay County, Kingfisher County, Latimer County, Le Flore County, Lincoln County, Logan County, Love County, Major County, Marshall County, Mayes County, McClain County, McCurtain County, McIntosh County, Murray County, Muskogee County, Noble County, Nowata County, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma County, Okmulgee County, Osage County, Ottawa County, Pawnee County, Payne County, Pittsburg County, Pontotoc County, Pottawatomie County, Pushmataha County, Roger Mills County, Rogers County, Seminole County, Sequoyah County, Stephens County, Tillman County, Tulsa County, Wagoner County, Washington County, Washita County, Woodward 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 Oklahoma because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Oklahoma tick risk by town

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

See Oklahoma →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

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, including Adair County, Alfalfa County, Atoka County, Blaine County, Bryan County, Caddo County, Canadian County, Carter County, Cherokee County, Choctaw County, Cimarron County, Cleveland County, Coal County, Comanche County, Cotton County, Craig County, Creek County, Custer County, Delaware County, Dewey County, Garfield County, Garvin County, Grady County, Grant County, Harmon County, Haskell County, Hughes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Johnston County, Kay County, Kingfisher County, Latimer County, Le Flore County, Lincoln County, Logan County, Love County, Major County, Marshall County, Mayes County, McClain County, McCurtain County, McIntosh County, Murray County, Muskogee County, Noble County, Nowata County, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma County, Okmulgee County, Osage County, Ottawa County, Pawnee County, Payne County, Pittsburg County, Pontotoc County, Pottawatomie County, Pushmataha County, Roger Mills County, Rogers County, Seminole County, Sequoyah County, Stephens County, Tillman County, Tulsa County, Wagoner County, Washington County, Washita County, Woodward 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.