Oct 25, 2006

Parasites, Bloodletting, and Lawyers

When you think of leeches you think of blood sucking parasites, bloodletting, and some lawyers. But the truth is that most leeches aren't haemophagic - that is, most don't specialize in sucking blood. All leeches are carnivorous, and most of them are predacious. They dine on such delectables as worms, snails, insect larvae, and crustaceans.

I can't imagine being a young crawdad (for a number of reasons, but ...) cruising along the bottom of a creek, minding my own business when suddenly one of these looms overhead and starts knawing its way through my now-inadequate exoskeleton.
I'll stick with the bloodletting, thanks.

Thanks for the photo,
Jasper.

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