Parasites and hairs: stories from the Chamela forest

Abstract

Parasitism is a common way of life in nature, however, parasites are rarely included as part of biological diversity. Depending on their location, these can be classified as: endoparasites, those who live inside the body of a host, and ectoparasites, those found on or outside the host. Here we cite some examples of ectoparasites inhabiting mammalian skin and describe a workday to collect them in a Biosphere reserve located in the Mexican Pacific. In these times where there is an environmental and health crisis, taxonomic work represents one of the most important bases for knowing what we want to preserve.

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