What are Argasidae?

• A. Hard ticks
• B. Soft ticks
• C. A type of rodenticide
• D. A disease

Answer: (B)

Argasidae are soft ticks, a family of ticks with a soft, leathery body and no hard shield. They differ from hard ticks in appearance and feeding style: their mouthparts are not prominent from above, and they tend to feed quickly for short periods, often in nests, burrows, or crevices rather than remaining attached for long times. This group includes genera such as Argas and Ornithodoros and is known to transmit diseases like relapsing fever. The other options don’t describe a tick family.