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Can ticks repair damaged legs?
Immature ticks may replace part of a lost leg at a later moult, but an adult no longer moults and cannot regenerate a complete missing leg in the same way.
Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Everyone
Short answer
At a glance
Key takeaways
Regeneration is linked to development
When an immature arthropod moults, some damaged structures can be partly restored. The result may be smaller or abnormal and is not guaranteed.
Do not mislabel a damaged specimen
An adult tick seen with seven legs is still an eight-legged life stage with an injury. Record the damage when submitting it for identification.