| Chizpurfle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Insectoid | ||
| Average height | 1 millimeter | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Non-Sapient | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Habitat | Parasitic Urban | ||
| Diet | Thaumavorous (primarily) Electrovorous (secondarily) | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | ||
| Created by | J. K. Rowling | ||
The Chizpurfle is a small arthropod-like species of magical parasites which are regarded as household pests in the wizarding community, due to them feeding on magic. In the absence of magic (i.e. when invading a house that doesn't belong to a wizard), they instead feed on electricity, and are often responsible for the apparently inexplicable malfunction of electrical devices.
Biology[]
Chizpurfles are very small, up to a twentieth of an inch high (i.e. about 1 millimeter), and resemble a crab-like creature with fangs. They're usually found as parasites living among the fur and feathers of other magical animals such as Crups or Augureys.
When they invade a wizard's habitation, they will be readily attracted to any source of magic for them to consume, such as gnawing down wands or forming colonies at the bottom of dirty cauldrons, feeding off residual potions. The latter, depending on the potion, might cause the Chizpurfles to grow in size, making them much harder to combat.
The British Ministry of Magic classifies the Chizpurfle as an XX species, meaning "harmless / may be domesticated".