# Where Do Fleas Live?

> Where fleas live: On the bodies of host animals worldwide, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Flea (*Siphonaptera*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Hematophagous (blood of mammals and birds)
- **Habitat:** On the bodies of host animals worldwide
- **Lifespan:** Several weeks to a few months
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flea/where-do-flea-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flea/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Fleas are tiny, wingless insects that live as parasites on the bodies of mammals and birds, feeding on their blood. They are renowned for their jumping ability, able to leap many times their own body length thanks to powerful hind legs and a spring-like protein. Fleas can be a nuisance to pets and people and can transmit disease, and they are found nearly worldwide.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Built for jumping

Fleas are famous for their extraordinary jumps, able to leap distances and heights many times their own body length. The power comes from a rubber-like protein called resilin that stores energy and releases it like a spring. This lets a flea launch onto a passing host with explosive acceleration.

## Help protect the Flea

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flea/where-do-flea-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.