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Fleas are tiny creatures, measuring only 1 to 3 millimeters long. They are smaller than the staple that holds paper together, which is about 6 millimeters long. But even small creatures like fleas can be mighty. Some types of fleas can jump incredible lengths, despite their extremely miniature size. Even without wings, fleas can reach amazing heights.
In fact, fleas can jump over 8 inches in length and 5 inches in height. This is almost 200 times their own body size! Some fleas have even been recorded jumping up to 19 inches. How do we know? Scientists have used high speed cameras to capture these giant jumps and measure how far the fleas are able to go. Compared to other insects, fleas are champion jumpers.
How do fleas jump?
Fleas jump very far relative to the size of their tiny bodies. They preserve energy so that their little legs are capable of pushing them far into the air. They are very good at finding and jumping onto their target. Fleas have three pairs of legs, and these legs are the key to their jumping abilities. You might think that fleas need muscular legs to jump so far, since many insects and animals rely on the muscles in their legs to fling them into the air. Fleas do have muscle in their tiny legs, but there is one very important element that makes them jump so high.
Fleas have resilin , a stretchy and elastic protein, in their legs. Resilin is like a rubber band, able to stretch and help shoot the flea into the air. Fleas start in a crouched position, resting their trochanters , which are similar to knees, on the ground. Then, they push through their tarsus , which are like toes, catapulting themselves forward. Impressively, fleas spring from all their legs at the same time, so they are very coordinated and controlled when they jump. Fleas are also very flexible. Their bodies have overlapping thoraxes and abdomens , which can squeeze together to allow them to move more easily.
Why do fleas jump?
Lots of fleas spend their time crawling and walking around, rather than jumping. Walking takes much less energy than jumping does, so why don’t fleas walk all the time? Jumping is the key for a flea to reach a host . Fleas are parasites , or creatures that depend on other living things to survive. Fleas spring into the air to attach to hosts like dogs and humans and take their blood, like tiny vampires. Fleas need blood from their hosts to survive, and if there is no host a flea can only live for up to two weeks. Once they land on a host, fleas will not jump higher up. This is why most people find flea bites on the lower parts of their body.
Can fleas jump anywhere?
Fleas are not picky about where they live. The most important thing is for a flea to have a host. They like to live on warm mammals like humans, cats, and dogs. If you find a flea in the wild, it will most likely be living somewhere moist and shady, where it can hide away from predators like ladybugs. Although humans do not like fleas because of their itchy bites, fleas are important to the ecosystem. Fleas take small amounts of blood from their hosts and recycle it into food for their predators, contributing to the circle of life.
Glossary
Resilin – a stretchy protein that helps fleas to jump
Trochanter – the second segment in the leg of an insect, like a knee
Tarsus – the final segment of an insect’s leg, similar to toes
Thorax and Abdomen – sections of the flea’s body that are flexible
Host – an animal that a parasite lives off of
Parasite – a creature that needs a host to survive
Flesch Kincaid Score: 83.7
Flesch Kincaid Reading Level: 6th grade
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