Cilia are organized by centrioles that move to the cell periphery where they are known as basal bodies. To learn more about Paramecium behavior click here . Just about anywhere there is water, moderate temperatures, and debris. For an easy source try looking in your local pond or gulley. Most ciliates are relatively large for single celled organisms and thus can be seen with a low power microscope.
Ciliates offer many advantages as a research organism.
They can be manipulated genetically and thus it is easy to isolate mutants. Since ciliates are easy to mate it is possible to construct complex strains with various mutations present for a detailed study of genetic interactions.