Bushwalk Australia

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.

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.

Looks like a paralysis tick to me too.

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.

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...).