bug ID ... tick?

[msw]

Can anyone ID this upside down photo of this jellybean sized crawling thing.

It was about 15mm long - from the Florentine Valley. There are similar looking photos (when I googled 'jellybean sized bug') that describe an engorged ticks on a dog.

I initially thought it was a pebble - until I noticed it moving very slowly. After turning it over, it retracted its legs etc.

from matt.

[Davo1]

I'm no expert but it sure looks like an adult paralysis tick. Ixodes holocyclus
As there are many different ticks I'd be sending it off for a proper ID as I'd be curious to know for sure.
I have been led to believe that they are not supposed to be that far south which adds to the curiosity even more.

[Suz]

Looks like a paralysis tick to me too.

[msw]

Thanks for the replies. I didn't keep it when I spotted it - having no idea what it was. I always thought that ticks were tiny things. This one must have had a good feed on something.

-matt.

[silvereye]

The whitish colour and the fact that all eight legs are right up towards the front indicate a paralysis tick.
I'm not sure how far south they are supposed to be, but I know they have been found and ID'd by vets in and around the Judbury area for several years now. A friend's dog was killed by one in that area just a few days ago.
Nasty little buggers.
Definitely worth keeping an eye out for them on the trail - I always take a tick remover out with me, and have used it several times (but not yet for a paralysis tick - at least as far as I know...).