# Pubic Lice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-lice/179801 "2003-06-05T12:33:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-lice/179801/1 "2003-06-05T12:33:06Z")
Do pubic lice (crabs) only live in the hair (pubic or otherwise) of humans? If so why have they narrowed down their habitat just to pubes? Why not spread out to other areas of the body like scabies mites do? I know this is a bit sick but i’m genuinley confuzzled! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-lice/179801/2 "2003-06-05T12:41:31Z")
It’s to do with their body adaptions. > [@](#): > > Crab lice live only on the hairy portions of the body. Their legs are adapted to grasp hairs which are rather widely spaced, and for this reason, these lice prefer the pubic and perianal regions. However, they can be found in eyelashes, head and arm pit hair. From [here.](http://www.thebestcontrol.com/lice-chapter/about_lice.htm) ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-lice/179801/3 "2003-06-05T13:01:43Z")
Do they only live on humans? Could say, a dog (Idread to think how) get them from a human? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-lice/179801/4 "2003-06-05T13:46:15Z")
I believe that they(the ones that affect humans) are specific to primates.