Hirudo medicinalis

Medicinal Leech

Want the odd, unusual, the WTH? A Crazy Dave’s semi-exclusive! Guaranteed to make your friends and family look at you like you have two heads.

 

General Information

 

The medicinal leech, which are related to earthworms, is amphibious, needing both land and water, and resides exclusively in fresh water. They bear a posterior and anterior disk-shaped sucker. The anterior sucker surrounds the oral opening where the teeth for incison are located. In addition, the medicinal leech has five pairs of eyes located on its front end. They are hermaphrodites, having several pairs of testes and one pair of ovaries. The leech is sensitive to light, heat and dessication. Wild H. medicinalis are rare or extinct in their native Europe. These are now bred and raised in sterile, medical-grade facilities.

 

 

Maintenance

 

Clean, chlorine-free water is a must. I use bottled spring water. Do not use distilled water, as it does not have needed minerals. Fill the the container to about 2/3 full and store in a dark and cool place with temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees F. Cover the jar with fabric secured with rubber bands, as they must breathe. They can escape through the smallest of holes. The leech strips its skin every 2 to 3 days. Some aquarium gravel at the bottom of the container are recommended in order to facilitate the skin stripping. Mucus from the skin floating in the water is normal and indicate that the leeches are healthy. Change about 1/3 to 1/2 of the water every 3 to 5 days depending on how many there are in the container.

 

 

Feeding

 

Now the fun part. I feed my personal pets my own blood, and it’s free! If you’re squeamish, you can use frogs, but what fun is that? When you first open the container they react to shadows indicating mammals, which means dinner. I usually coax one out onto my arm or leg. It will usually attach quickly with both the anterior (the smaller feeding end) and posterior ends. You will feel a very slight stinging, and if you didn’t know it was on you, you wouldn’t notice it. It will feed for 20 to 40 minutes after which it will literally fall off. Because of the effective anticoagulant and vasodilators in it’s saliva, the wound can bleed for many hours. I use a thick gauze compression bandage until the next day then switch to a regular bandaid. You will notice the characteristic “Mercedes Benz” 3-pointed bite mark. They can go for another 6 months before feeding again. Caution, do not share feeding your leech with another person! You can cross-contaminate blood-borne pathogens. No sales to minors.