#((LEECH))

[hemoterrorist]

dumb comic

[amnhnyc]

One small step for leeches, one giant leap for leechkind! For the first time, we have concrete evidence that at least one species of terrestrial leech in Madagascar can jump. Mai’s work is important to conservation efforts because leeches are increasingly being collected to survey vertebrate biodiversity. By analyzing their blood meals, researchers are able to identify other animals living alongside the leeches, ranging from wildcats to frogs to ground-dwelling birds. Read more about Mai's research in our latest blog post.

Have you ever seen a leech jump? Let us know in the comments!

[sloppjockey]

luch. gouache watercolor

[langernameohnebedeutung]

[fhtagn-and-tentacles]

FLAYED KHEZU

by Romeck

[hellsitegenetics]

if it hasn't been asked already (sorry cannot figure out how to search)

chapter one of Alice in Wonderland: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-I.html

String identified: CATtatAcaggtgttttgttaaagtgtctcatttaagttactcattaattatgtActtctcatacgaacttaaatttaagaacatttgttgacgtaatattacTatgaatatActtcttatatatattaaaattgttatatccttatgttaatttattttatatattatactataatcttatcatctaattatActattttaactataaatttaatcatctaatcttattagtctaactattatatattttaagattgtatccgatcatttAcattccgtatgttagaTatttagtataattatAcatatttattgagattaattattatatataggtattttaatatacgtttatatatgtatttatctatttcaaataaactggtaataataaAGAAAttgatatttattttaagaagtttttcaaatttgtActatcaaatattgtgtaatatattaatgatttttcattactaaattaatgttgatcttatttattatAcaatatgtttcatgtatagttggatatttttagactctattatattgttacttatattgtgttAcaaatattagttttgttcgatatgaagaaagttgtatttctagttatattaaTAtattaatgatatgttattatatgttaatatattatctaaataaAtaaattctaacctgaagtgtatcaagtAatagatttgtagttaaatttTatgtAcgatagagaactgttaatcattacattataatTactaaatgtcatcaatatatatcatatatAAcgatgtatatagtaatacatatatcatatatatatatcatactattttcattcattttatagaatgtatataagaataaagtatattttataatttcaaatcaaataaAcatattattatttaaaaaatgaagattatatgtgtTatatttaatActaatttataattacaaattgttgactttcttatagtagacataaaggtTatattacaAcaataatttgaatgatgttagacaatttggtaaagatatgtctatgaActtgtatattgtgtttataattctagtatatataatttattctcaactaattcataattattcgttttgtcatgatgttttAcgtctaActatatttaaaagtcagtaaattaagtaagtttgaagtgtttataaaaatagtgtatctatctgtatgtaaagtgtgtActttttctatctctgattatgaaattatAcagtttattgaTtatgttttactttaaggtattataatattgtcttatttttcctaataAcatctttaaaattatttagttActagtttaatattttAcatggttatataattataaactttatcagttaatatataattgacattttatagttcatatatttgatatctgtataaagtttatcattatatctatagtattttataActttattagtctaactatactatctaaatttattttattatacgaActttgatcAtaatcgaacgtatttgttatatgtggtgtttttatgatatattaggtattattatttgtaActggtatgtacaattAttacattaacaattcatctagcatgAtagtattgacggttgaatctaaAcgtttagtttttgatactttatctactcttatgtgaatttctgttattataattttgttttgatacCtcgtataActataatattgagagactgtatcatgtatactgtaagcatagactaagagattccatgtttttgtActttttagttactaattgatatagttatataacactATatacatattaAcatagagcaactatagacacttagtttgaatcacaatatttaaatcacagattatcataggaatttatatattgaaatcatAcagtcttactgtgtttatgtatatttattgtcattatca

Closest match: Erpobdella octoculata genome assembly, chromosome: 7 Common name: Freshwater Leech

(image source)

[mndvx]

Magneto promised Leech would never be scared again. X-MEN ‘97 — Remember It (S01E05)

[fakedimebag]

Magneto talking about what he experienced on Genosha to Charles was heartbreaking. But most of all, it did what most forms of media have failed to do from Magneto's point of view. It showed just how justified he is in his actions.

[counterspelling]

Endless X-Men 97

[bogleech]

Sorry if you think these are gross disgusting images or whatever but I did eventually give up feeding store bought pork blood to pet leeches because the bite is completely and utterly painless anyway and they don't carry diseases. The only risk is bacterial infection but that's rare and I just put a band-aid on the bite with antibiotic. I've done it off and on for six years but now it's the only way I feed them because I know it's safe for them, plus, they go six months to a year between eating. These photos are all the same leech after feeding for 20 minutes, and that is the same jar in the last two comparisons; they genuinely stretch out that much while they eat. Now over the next couple of days it will actually molt, shedding its skin in one piece, and get larger permanently. This species is Hirudinaria manillenses, the "Asian Buffalo leech," the second largest blood-drinking leech and the largest of the "jawed" leeches. The very largest blood drinking leech is a "proboscis leech" and I would not want to raise one of those this way because this is how a jawed leech (like mine) feeds:

A TINY surface bite, by tiny little jaws at the center of the sucker

But this is how a "proboscis leech" feeds:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I was actually fairly squeamish and afraid of bleeding before I got leeches, but I still hate needles. Getting blood drawn at the doctor is still a hundred times more noticeable than a giant jawed leech bite. I think a giant proboscis leech bite is probably worse than that, the proboscis is all covered in microscopic barbs I do believe.

This is what the proboscis leech looks like on a guy:

I forget what that arrow is pointing to, possibly one of the pores used in mating? If you haven't seen it here's a little video I took of a baby manillensis swimming around in one of my huge jars:

[drafthearse]

"'Attack' by dozens of hungry European Medicinal Leeches, Hirudo medicinalis, while wading across a small weedy pond. Swimwear would not have been recommended here... Such a dense population of several hundred leeches is quite unusual in Central Europe – medical leeches have become a rare species in the wild."

[mr-foods]

generation x

[onenicebugperday]

Asian striped land leech, Haemadipsa guangchuanensis, Haemadipsidae

Photo 1 by dhfischer, 2-3 by daver, 4-5 by bentsai, and 6-7 by albertkang

[sloppjockey]

lambprey. gouache watercolor

[x-mensirens]

Genosha in X-Men '97 Episode 5: Remember It

[lichelet]