How Can Fleas Jump So High?

Scientists have long been puzzled over how fleas jump so high, but a recent study provides some answers. Insects jump by using their toes and knees as levers. A mechanical engineer by training, Gregory Sutton created a computer model of the flea’s jump and compared it to actual high-speed film footage.

Fleas’ legs are built with resilin pads, which allow them to leap high. The exoskeleton of the insect also provides support and allows for fast acceleration. A flea that was the size of a human would be unlikely to leap so high, but a normal-sized flea can jump at least 20cm.

Fleas are incredible jumpers and have been studied for more than a thousand years. One study by Gregory Sutton of the University of Cambridge, England, examined the mechanics of a flea’s jump and discovered that it could jump 50 to 100 times its body length.

The mechanism of how fleas jump is unclear, but recent studies conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge have helped explain how this remarkable insect jumps so high. Scientists have identified a spring-like structure in the flea’s body that stores energy and transfers this to the ground. The spring also acts as a lever system to drive the flea’s toes and tibia to the ground, allowing it to jump a great distance.

Fleas can jump as high as 50cm. This is amazing considering their tiny size. For years, scientists have puzzled over the mechanism that makes them so fast. But, it wasn’t until recently that the science behind the jumping of fleas has become widely available and reproducible.