Spider in Lethbridge, Alberta. Black/white body red legs

[dubey89]

Hello. I took my shirt off today and found a spider burrowed in my chest hair. After freaking out, I managed to extract it. It left a small bite mark where it had been.


Sorry if the picture isn't great, I attempted crushing it in a kleenex in a panic prior to taking the photo. (it did NOT die)


Am I going to die?

[MyssArachnomancer]

A relative of spiders, but not a spider. This is a Tick, likely a Wood Tick. They are common, and just loooove our blood. Believe me, I get them all the time in the woods. You'll have an itchy welt, but will likely be okay. They're almost impossible to crush or kill, and mine go down the toilet.

[Eric]

I agree. This is a tick in the family Ixodidae, genus Dermacentor. There are likely at least two species in your area: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick and American Dog Tick.

Eric