Which tick family is known as soft ticks?

The tick family known as soft ticks is Argasidae. Its members lack the hard dorsal shield, or scutum, that characterizes the separate family Ixodidae, commonly called hard ticks.

Argasid ticks also differ in body structure and feeding behavior. Their mouthparts are positioned on the underside and are usually concealed when viewed from above, while hard ticks have mouthparts projecting forward. Soft ticks generally feed more briefly and repeatedly than hard ticks, whose females may remain attached for days while engorging.

Argasidae contains familiar genera such as Argas, Ornithodoros, Carios, and Otobius. The family includes ticks associated with birds, bats, livestock, and other hosts. Many species shelter in nests, burrows, caves, animal housing, or wall cracks rather than remaining exposed on vegetation.

The name “soft” describes the flexible body and absence of a scutum, not a lack of medical importance. Some argasid ticks transmit pathogens, and their bites can cause irritation or allergic reactions. Taxonomic counts change as molecular studies revise genera and species, but the family-level distinction from Ixodidae remains standard.