Parasites

When the stringy dodder plant emerges, it bobs and sways to find the perfect host plant, then sucks the life out of it. See the video.

A parasitic microbe commonly found in cats might have helped shape entire human cultures by manipulating the personalities of infected individuals.

Toxoplasma gondii is probably the most successful parasite in the world today. The disease caused by this parasite can scar the back of the eye.

Here's why your cat or dog might be rubbing its butt on the floor.

The preserved eggs of a human intestinal parasite prove that a fifth century Roman pot was used as a toilet.

The microscopic nematodes known as vinegar eels move together in a strange synchronized swimming routine, new research videos show.

Scientists discovered a new type of parasitic worm that only infects the mouths of tarantula spiders.

Here are some of our favorite gross-outs in science news this year.

The pathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae doesn't just kill the flies it infects; it also turns males into sex-crazed necrophiliacs.

Tongue-eating parasites chow down on fishes' mouths and eventually replace their tongues