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.