Updated September 23, 2021 6.9K votes 1.6K voters 118.2K views
Over 1.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 12 Fascinating, Slightly Disgusting Creatures That Can Live On Your Body
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Vote up the creepy crawlies who are making your skin itch the most just thinking about them.
While we might consider our bodies to be completely our own, the truth is that that around 90% of the cells that make up a human are actually not part of us at all. Instead, they are made up of billions of different bugs, ranging from bacteria to parasitic creatures that depend on you to live. Unlike bugs you didn't realize you're eating all the time, most of these inhabitants provide a mutually beneficial service, getting rid of harmful bacteria or protecting us against infections, so they cannot simply be considered pests.
The diversity of the human body also makes it the perfect environment for other types of organisms. Insects, mites, and lice can all make their home on the surface of the skin, biting into the flesh to feed on blood. Many of the disgusting creatures that live on your body have evolved to specialize in a particular area and are capable of living their entire lives on your skin while you go about your daily business. All around the world, these little guys are feeding, mating, and laying eggs in human hair and flesh.
So whether it's microscopic creatures or visible insects, your body can literally be teaming with life that you might much prefer wasn’t there at all.
Chiggers, Larvae That Use Chemicals To Form Holes In Your Skin
Chiggers are a species of trombiculidae that are closely related to ticks. However, they are much smaller than their relatives and will usually only reach sizes of around 0.4 mm, meaning they are practically microscopic and difficult to spot. Capable of living in almost any sort of vegetation, they attach to a host - including humans - during their larval stage so that they can feed on blood.
They do this by using chemicals to form a hole in the flesh rather than biting. The disgusting creatures continue to live on the human body until they are finished feeding and simply drop off to mature into their harmless adult forms.
Crabs are a type of pubic lice that get their name from the fact that they look like miniature crabs, complete with six legs and small claws. Like other forms of lice, they feed on blood and infect humans to get access to a food source. They are primarily found in pubic areas, but the creatures can also be found on other parts of the body with coarse hair, including eyebrows, facial hair, and the legs.
Unlike some of the other disgusting creatures that can live on a human body, they are capable of living on people of all races and locations. As you might have guessed, crabs are generally passed on through sexual contact.
Chigoe Flea, Who Breathes, Defecates, And Lays Eggs In Your Skin
Although rare, chigoe fleas are insects that can latch onto a variety of different hosts. An infestation of these fleas is known as tungiasis, and they are particularly nasty as they are also likely to lead to other forms of infection from their presence. After arriving on a host, the insects latch onto the skin and then bury their heads into the flesh.
Its hind legs remain exposed on the skin, allowing the disgusting pest to breath and defecate while it lays hundreds of eggs under the skin. They are most common in South America and Africa, where they attach themselves to the feet of their victims. Unlike many of the other creatures that can live on your body, these fleas can cause severe damage such as gangrene, tuberculosis, and necrosis of the flesh.
Ticks, Bacteria-Filled Hitchhikers Who Love Human Flesh
Ticks are tiny arachnids that can range in size from just a few millimeters to one or two centimeters. They are found all around the world and live by feeding on mammals, birds, and even reptiles. Usually located in wooded or forested areas, the parasites attach themselves onto their hosts from branches and brambles.
Once they have bitten a victim, a tick is capable of causing a great deal of harm to a person as they have the ability to carry a number of diseases and transmit them to anybody they come into contact with. This can include Lyme disease and the malaria-like babeiosis.
Head Lice, Little Guys That Love Your Scalp's Thin Skin
Head lice are one of the most common types of creatures that can live on a person’s body. These tiny insects live on the scalp where they have easy access to long hair on which they can lay their eggs. It also provides them with the opportunity to feed easily, as the thin skin on the scalp is easy to penetrate and enables the louse to bite into the flesh and drink the blood.
Millions of people in the United States alone are infested with head lice every year, particularly children, as they can spread quickly with close contact between individuals.
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Photo: Content Providers(s): CDC/ Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert; Dr. Harold Harlan; Richard Pollack. Photo Credit: Piotr Naskrecki / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
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Bed Bugs, Sneaky Nighttime Residents Of Your Body
Bed bugs are a common problem throughout the world. These small, oval-shaped insects can reach sizes of up to 5 mm long, and they feed on blood. While they do not technically live on the human body, they do spend an extended amount of time on people during the night, when they crawl out from their hiding spots in beds and mattresses to bite exposed skin.
Thankfully, they are usually harmless and do not spread any diseases, though some people can suffer from an allergic reaction if bitten.
