FEMALE Western Dog Tick (Dermacentor similis). It is one of 4 Tick species that I've observed in Monterey County. It’s big time tick season. I flicked off 12 ticks of varying types and sizes. Most were in a brushy, semi-shaded woodland canyon near stream. "They don’t prey on each other. They are often found together, questing for hosts." INat trailblazr

THE LARGER ONE
FEMALE Western Dog Tick (Dermacentor similis)
There are only 34 confirmed observations of Western Dog Tick worldwide on INat (as of 4/17/24): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&preferred_place_id=917&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=1273095
Per INat odhentomologist :
"A few years ago it was determined that all the American dog ticks on the west coast (previously identified as D. variabilis) are actually a different species from the ones in the east and should be identified as D. similis. Entomology Today: https://entomologytoday.org/2021/08/25/american-dog-ticks-western-new-species-dermacentor-similis/"

BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Dermacentor%20similis

Ticks have 8 legs, therefore ticks are NOT insects, they are arachnids. Dog Ticks (Dermacentor genus) are in the Arachnids (Arachnida) Class (They are not spiders either.)

Field Guide to Spiders of California and the Pacific Coast States, RJ Adams and Tim Manolis, 2014, pp. 3-8.

Link to the SMALLER ONE Pacific Coast Tick (top of photo): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207781830

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TICKS--Examples of 4 species of Hardbacked Ticks (Ixodidae) family on the Central Coast of California:

Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/203034491
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166487859
Western Dog Tick (Dermacentor similis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207705926
Western Black-legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/205460117

Ticks have 8 legs, with 7 segments. Each leg tip has a pair of claws--that's 14 hooks to latch onto prey. After hatching from the egg, a tick must obtain a blood meal at every stage to survive. Ticks can transmit a variety of bacterial diseases via their saliva into people. Ticks can feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They wait on the ends of plants or shrubs until they are brushed off onto unsuspecting prey. Ticks of different species "don’t prey on each other. They are often found together, questing for hosts." INat trailblazr

Ticks are in the Arachnids (Arachnida) Class. Arachnids are joint-legged invertebrate animals (Arthropods) that have 2 body segments, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and 8 legs (therefore, arachnids are NOT insects). Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegaroons.

Field Guide to Spiders of California and the Pacific Coast States, RJ Adams and Tim Manolis, 2014, pp. 3-8.

Tiny Tick tupperware cups are handy to have in the field so you can photograph the tick before it gets away. I buy 12 for $1.25 at the Dollar Store. Medical providers can offer more precise diagnosis and treatment if you bring in the tick that was imbedded in your body.

INaturalist Projects for Tick observations: Medically-Important Arthropods
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/medically-important-arthropods
and https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/investickations

the SMALLER ONE (top of photo), female Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis)
BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Dermacentor+occidentalis
BugGuide example of Male Pacific Coast Tick--more spotted, less pronounced shoulder plate than female. Female shoulder plate is beige, giving it a two-tone appearance from a distance.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/96854
BugGuide Photos of male and female Pacific Coast Tick (female on top of male)
https://bugguide.net/node/view/909245

Link to confirmed observation of the (more uncommon) LARGER ONE: FEMALE Western Dog Tick (Dermacentor similis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207705926

Ticks have 8 legs, therefore ticks are NOT insects, they are arachnids. Dog Ticks (Dermacentor genus) are in the Arachnids (Arachnida) Class (They are not spiders either.)
Field Guide to Spiders of California and the Pacific Coast States, RJ Adams and Tim Manolis, 2014, pp. 3-8.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

TICKS--Examples of 4 species of Hardbacked Ticks (Ixodidae) family on the Central Coast of California:

Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/203034491
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166487859
Western Dog Tick (Dermacentor similis) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207705926
Western Black-legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/205460117

Ticks have 8 legs, with 7 segments. Each leg tip has a pair of claws--that's 14 hooks to latch onto prey. After hatching from the egg, a tick must obtain a blood meal at every stage to survive. Ticks can transmit a variety of bacterial diseases via their saliva into people. Ticks can feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They wait on the ends of plants or shrubs until they are brushed off onto unsuspecting prey. Ticks of different species "don’t prey on each other. They are often found together, questing for hosts." INat trailblazr

Ticks are in the Arachnids (Arachnida) Class. Arachnids are joint-legged invertebrate animals (Arthropods) that have 2 body segments, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and 8 legs (therefore, arachnids are NOT insects). Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegaroons.

Field Guide to Spiders of California and the Pacific Coast States, RJ Adams and Tim Manolis, 2014, pp. 3-8.

Tick tupperware cups are handy to have in the field so you can photograph the tick before it gets away. I buy 12 for $1.25 at the Dollar Store. Medical providers can offer more precise diagnosis and treatment if you bring in the tick that was imbedded in your body.

INaturalist Projects for Tick observations: Medically-Important Arthropods
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/medically-important-arthropods
and https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/investickations