Western Ground Squirrel Flea vs Mouse Flea

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Ground Squirrel Flea Mouse Flea
Scientific Name Oropsylla montana Leptopsylla segnis
Order Siphonaptera Siphonaptera
Family Ceratophyllidae Leptopsyllidae
Size 2-3 mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Grasslands Indoors
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Western North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Western Ground Squirrel Flea

A flea found on ground squirrels and prairie dogs in western North America. It is an important vector of sylvatic plague in wild rodent populations.

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Did You Know?

It is the primary flea responsible for maintaining plague in wild rodent populations across the American West.

Mouse Flea

A small flea that parasitizes house mice and other small rodents worldwide. It is commonly found in rodent nests in and around human dwellings.

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Did You Know?

It can transmit murine typhus from rats to humans in domestic settings.