Parasites are nature’s great givers. Protecting them must be on our tick-list | Jules Howard

They may cause misery, pain and zombie cockroaches, but parasites are also responsible for glorious biodiversity. Now climate change threatens their survival

Have you ever seen a headless toad? If the answer is no, now is a good time to go out looking for one. You see, it is almost exactly at this time of year that they are becoming headless thanks to the actions of tiny parasites that are emerging from out of their bodies. It is with these creatures that I would like to begin this piece about the worthiness or worthlessness of parasites.

Related: Climate change could wipe out a third of parasite species, study finds

Would this be a poorer world without the humble toadfly?

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