The scientific name of the flea is Siphonaptera, ultimately derived from the Greek word siphon, meaning “tube,” and the Greek word apetros, meaning “wingless.”

“Flea” is technically a generic term, as it can refer to any of the 2,500 insect species that commonly infest mammals and birds. It is common for one species of flea to target only one type of animal.

Fleas are capable of jumping about 50 times their body height, which is one of the greatest jumping feats in the animal kingdom. By comparison, if a 6-foot human could do the same, they would be able to jump 300 feet.

Fleas originated during the Middle Jurassic era, around 170 million years ago.

The eyesight of adult fleas is actually very poor, but they compensate by sensing body heat and vibrations.

A flea egg can hatch in as little as 2 days. A female flea can lay about 50 eggs per day, and around 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.

Fleas have historically spread diseases such as typhus and plague among humans.

The most common type of flea that infests pets is the cat flea.

The human flea is quite rare nowadays, and the lack of hair on humans compared to other animals is likely one of the reasons why.

Ancient philosophers falsely believed that fleas spontaneously originated from dust.

One of the largest types of fleas is the moose flea, which can grow up to 10 mm in size.