Original: Naegleria fowleri ( , also known as '' the brain-eating amoeba '' ) is a free-living excavate form of protist typically found in warm fresh water , from 25 -- 35 ° C ( 77 -- 95 ° F ) in an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage .
Simplified: Naegleria fowleri is a free-living form of protist typically found in warm fresh water , from 25 -- 35 degrees Celsius .