looduskalender.ee

 

The nature webcam allows us to observe the life and behaviour of badgers in their natural environment; they can scratch themselves unashamedly and without interference. One more thing that these efficient claws can be used for, in addition to digging …

 

The video shows how distressed the badgers are by the fleas – the fight against fleas occupies a significant part of a badger’s waking time and a fair measure of energy since getting hold of the parasites in the dense fur is in itself an acrobatic feat. So they have their gymnastics together every night in camera view.

 

 

A little about animal fleas. Fleas live between the hairs and feathers of animals and birds and so belong to the external parasites. There are thousands of flea species in the world that infest the host species, piercing their skin and sucking blood – without blood a flea cannot reproduce.

 

The fact that the fleas are wingless does not deter them very much because fleas – particularly the fleas that are parasites on mammals – are highly skilled jumpers and so spread quite quickly and far.

To this end the female flea also does everything in her power and lays her eggs away from the host. They quickly develop into brave new fleas on a diet of organic waste. The flea larvae get the blood necessary for their life processes from the feces of adult fleas.

 

Estonia has about 50 flea species and the most common of them are the cat and dog fleas. Human fleas by contrast have become quite rare after the industrial revolution and improved hygienic standards which however does not mean that fleas are not a nuisance for humans – they still are. 

 

 

On Friday evening the beaver pair were diligently renewing their nest materials. See photos in the forum: LINK