Like a lot of things in Australia, these nasty critters can kill you. Or more likely, your dog or cat. When biting they release a toxin into the bloodstream which causes paralysis if the tick isn't found and removed.
This year, we had lots of ticks due to the warm, wet summer (as opposed to hot and dry). They are found in grassy and scrubby areas where they can latch onto a passing feed.
I removed this one from the dogs ear where it had latched on and burrowed its head in.
As you can see, they're small but they engorge enormously once they've fed and are full of blood.
Image credit: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen via wikipedia commons
