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Leeches. Leeches are probably the most well known denizens of tropical/subtropical rainforests worldwide, and no description of a rainforest would be complete without mentioning them. These bloodsuckers are segmented worms ( Annelida) and related to earthworms. They are present all over the world but especially ubiquitous in the tropical zone.
Annelida (Leeches and Worms) Leeches (class Hirudinea) can reach 10 cm, being cosmopolitan and found in freshwater, marine, and even arboreal environments. They utilize suckers and sharp teeth for feeding on the blood of other animals. The therapeutic use of bleeding in antiquity used the species Hirudo medicinalis.
Mar 23, 2020 · Leeches have been used medically for thousands of years – dating back to ancient Greece and Egypt when bloodletting was a common practice. Practitioners of the time believed the removal of blood from a patient could prevent illness and cure disease. Sometimes crude instruments were used for bloodletting but more often, leeches were used.
Sep 7, 2016 · Here are a few things you might not have know about these creepy crawlies. 1. Leeches are actually worms. Yup. Leeches have a lot in common with your everyday earthworm—but there are some important differences. Leeches’ bodies are much more solid than earthworms’, and while they show some external segmentation, the divisions on the ...
Linnaeus, 1758. Hirudo medicinalis, or the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches . Other species of Hirudo sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include H. orientalis, H. troctina, and H. verbana. The Asian medicinal leech includes Hirudinaria manillensis, and the North American medicinal ...
The meaning of LEECH is any of numerous carnivorous or bloodsucking usually freshwater annelid worms (class Hirudinea) that have typically a flattened lanceolate segmented body with a sucker at each end.
Aug 28, 2023 · Australia’s land leeches still love damp. They hang out near creeks and streams and move by squirming along like caterpillars. They use their front and rear sucker mouths to cling onto leaves or branches, waving around in the air, searching for a meal. They have two jaws and will make a v-shaped notch in the skin.
