We have a new kitten! We weren’t expecting to get a new kitten just yet but a friend called saying a kitten needed a home. Who can resist?
Our cat, Mushroom died last year so we had a vacancy. We like to be a two cat household. Kim Chi the kitten is very keen to play with Onion our ginger male although Onion is a bit frightened of her at the moment.
Kim Chi brought some house guests with her – fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) I thought I’d take some photos of a flea before they are exterminated. Quite interesting really. What looks like a large blood vessel is actually the trachea. Fleas breathe through spiracles (little holes in their bodies) and the trachea helps move the air around their nasty parasitic bodies.
I shall try and find some larvae tomorrow.
Pictures were taken on a Vickers M4000 at 40X and 80X magnification.
Click to enlarge.
ENJOY!
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- Kim Chi the kitten
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- Flea abdomen showing trachea
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- flea abdomen showing trachea
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- flea legs
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- flea
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- flea showing kitten blood
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- flea containing kitten blood, trachea shown
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- flea with trachea
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- flea trachea
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- flea
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- flea legs
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- flea
Spock's Sister Sees 
Comments on: "Kim Chi’s fleas" (2)
Aww, a tortie baby! My first cat was one, and I’ll be fond of them forever.
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My husband likes torties too, I think it’s what swayed him.
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