Ixodes pacificus nymphal ticks are the primary vector of Lyme disease in western North America. This EM image shows the piercing mouthparts that this tick uses to attach and feed on its hosts. 
This western fence lizard is being checked for for juvenile ticks to better understand the role of habitat fragmentation on tick burdens and disease transmission in Californian habitats. 
These black tailed deer came to investigate our wildlife cameras. Motion sensor cameras across a habitat fragmentation gradient document species richness and relative abundance.