Parasites

A parasite is a living thing that gets its food by living on or inside another creature. The creature it lives on is called the host. Parasites can be tiny, like germs, or bigger, like worms. They are found all over the world.

How Parasites Work

Parasites take food or nutrients from their host. This can make the host sick or weak. Fleas drink blood from dogs and cats. Tapeworms live inside the stomachs of animals and steal their food.

Parasites in Nature

Parasites are very common in nature. Mistletoe is a plant that grows on trees and steals their water. Cuckoo birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests. The other bird raises the cuckoo chick without knowing it is not their own.

Fun Facts

• Some parasites can actually control the behavior of their hosts like tiny puppeteers.
• Tapeworms can grow up to 30 feet long inside an animal's intestines.
• Mistletoe is a parasite, but many birds depend on its berries for food.

Did You Know?

The cuckoo bird is a brood parasite. It lays its eggs in other birds' nests so the other birds do all the work of raising its babies!