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Leeches are segmented worms in the Subclass Hirudinea that are usually ectoparasitic. They belong to the Class Clitellata (along with earthworms, Subclass Oligochaeta) because of the presence of a clitellum, which is a swelling towards the head of the animal, where the gonads are located. However, unlike the oligochaetes, leeches do not show ...
leech, Any annelid worm of the class Hirudinea (about 300 known species), with a small sucker containing the mouth at the front end and a large sucker at the back end. Species range from tiny to about 8 in. (20 cm) long. Leeches live primarily in freshwater or on land. Some species are predators, some eat organic debris, and others are parasitic.
Dec 1, 2022 · Although there are more than 600 species of leeches, including some that don’t suck blood, the European Hirudo medicinalis and Mediterranean Hirudo verbana are most frequently used in medicine ...
Leeches are segmented worms with flattened bodies. They are usually black or brown, although some species are brightly colored. Many leeches have attractive speckled or striped patterns. They are amazingly flexible, able to expand and contract to the point where it’s difficult to measure them. Each body segment is subdivided into annuli, which resemble wrinkles and add to the creature’s ...
Aug 1, 2020 · Many leeches in several different families occur globally in moist terrestrial habitats. The most infamous of these, the blood-sucking terrestrial leeches or “land leeches”, are of the family Haemadipsidae found in tropical and sub-tropical habitats of the Indian subcontinent, southeast and northeast Asia, Australia, and Indo-Pacific islands (Borda and Siddall, 2011, Fig. 1 B).
European medicinal leech. leeching, the application of a living leech to the skin in order to initiate blood flow or deplete blood from a localized area of the body. Through the 19th century leeching was frequently practiced in Europe, Asia, and America to deplete the body of quantities of blood, in a manner similar to bloodletting.
Jul 24, 2023 · Leeches are hermaphroditic parasites of phylum Annelida and class Hirudinea.[1] There are over 600 species of leeches. A minority of these are sanguinivorous and the cause of human morbidity. Historically, leeches have been used for medicinal purposes with the earliest recorded being 1500 BC. Leeches have continued to be used in modern medicine primarily in reconstructive surgery.[2][3][4][5 ...
