Host animals are many species - cats, dogs, humans, etc. The total flea life cycle can range from a couple weeks to several months, depending on environmental conditions. The adult flea is very flat side to side. There are hair-like bristles on the flea body and legs to aid in their navigation through pet hair. Fleas have 3 pairs of legs, the hindmost pair designed for jumping.
Fleas are well known for their jumping abilities .
Click here to learn more about flea anatomy . Adult fleas prefer to live on the animal and their diet consists of blood meals courtesy of the host animal. The female flea lays white, roundish eggs . The larva emerges from the egg using a chitin tooth, a hard spine on the top of the head that disappears as the flea matures. The larval stage actually has three developmental stages within this stage.