Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) hedgehog tick (Ixodes hexagonus) embedded in the skin of a hedgehog during feeding . Ticks are parasitic arachnids. They feed on the blood of a variety of animals and can transmit a number of diseases. The hedgehog tick is potentially a carrier of Borrelia, the bacterium responsible for Borreliosis, which is also known as Lyme disease. Magnification: x20 when printed at 10cm wide