Cat Flea vs Oriental Rat Flea
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Cat Flea | Oriental Rat Flea |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ctenocephalides felis | Xenopsylla cheopis |
| Order | Siphonaptera | Siphonaptera |
| Family | Pulicidae | Pulicidae |
| Size | 1.5-3 mm | 1.5-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide | Tropical and subtropical regions worldwide |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Cat Flea
The most common flea on both cats and dogs worldwide. Can jump up to 150 times its body length. A single female can produce up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
Did You Know?
Fleas can jump 150 times their body length — equivalent to a human leaping over a 75-story building. They achieve this using a pad of elastic protein called resilin.
Oriental Rat Flea
The primary vector of bubonic plague, responsible for transmitting the bacterium Yersinia pestis between rats and humans. It is a small, dark brown flea found on rodents.
Did You Know?
This flea species was responsible for transmitting the Black Death, which killed an estimated one-third of Europe's population.