Hedgehog Flea vs Dog Flea

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hedgehog Flea Dog Flea
Scientific Name Archaeopsylla erinacei Ctenocephalides canis
Order Siphonaptera Siphonaptera
Family Pulicidae Pulicidae
Size 2-3.5 mm 2-3.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, North Africa Europe, Asia, Africa, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hedgehog Flea

A large flea specific to European hedgehogs and one of the most abundant fleas in Western Europe. A single hedgehog can harbor hundreds.

💡

Did You Know?

Hedgehogs are so commonly infested that an average individual carries about 100 of these fleas.

Dog Flea

A flea historically associated with domestic dogs but actually less common on dogs than the cat flea. Distinguished by its more rounded head profile.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite being called the dog flea, this species is often outnumbered on dogs by cat fleas at a ratio of ten to one.