Leeches

Dark · Jan 26, 2004

I think leeches are cool. I want to get some. Does anyone sale or own a leech. I want to feed them to my pets and keep some of them alive. I don't think anyone has any leeches. If you do please tell me how to get some. When i say leeches I'm not talking about the ones that are on infected animals. I want some witch can't get me sick. The ones some doctors use on there victums.=D =D

From
Eric

Cockroach · Jan 26, 2004

The ones you are thinking about are the Medicinal Leach. I don't know their latin name, though. You should do a search for Medicinal Leaches, there are farms that raise them in mass quantities for sale to hospitals and such. They shouldn't be too expensive, maybe $5.00 at the least.
They are really cool looking animals that deserve a better reputation among invert. keepers. I do know that almost all leaches require cold water to survive and thrive. You could use a water chilling machine, or you could keep them in a refridgerator.
I would love to keep some oneday too, and I think that they would be a blast to feed

. Good luck finding some, they truely are beautiful!

laters,
Bill

Navaros · Jan 26, 2004

Go to a store that sells live fish food a species of leech almost always comes in with their live black worms.

Buspirone · Jan 27, 2004

http://www.leechesusa.com/leechesusa/

Wh1teshark · Jan 27, 2004

I know there are live leeches around here in some ponds. They are the same species that they use for medical use. My mom sold those when she worked at a big hospital famacy here, but I think that they were only sold to special doctors.

There are smaller, more common, ones called "horse leeches" here who grow to about one decimeter (about 4").

The latter don't suck blood from humans.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

/David

whoami? · Jan 28, 2004

Originally posted by Wh1teshark
I know there are live leeches around here in some ponds. They are the same species that they use for medical use. My mom sold those when she worked at a big hospital famacy here, but I think that they were only sold to special doctors.

There are smaller, more common, ones called "horse leeches" here who grow to about one decimeter (about 4").

The latter don't suck blood from humans.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

/David

I've looked for leeches in local watering holes, but never found any. I once found an annelid that sort of looked like a leech, but it was really tiny (less than half an inch long). Furthermore, I kept it for a few weeks, but I was never able to get it to suck my blood. Finally I let it go. Either it wasn't a leech, or it was a leech that just doesn't feed on mammals.

Are there any leeches that aren't parasitic at all?

Furthermore, how does one feed medicinal leeches in captivity?

Dark · Jan 28, 2004

Originally posted by whoami?
I've looked for leeches in local watering holes, but never found any. I once found an annelid that sort of looked like a leech, but it was really tiny (less than half an inch long). Furthermore, I kept it for a few weeks, but I was never able to get it to suck my blood. Finally I let it go. Either it wasn't a leech, or it was a leech that just doesn't feed on mammals.

Are there any leeches that aren't parasitic at all?

Furthermore, how does one feed medicinal leeches in captivity?

They feed medical leeches cow blood. they sell tubes made of sheep skin that contain cow blood. Its cool when they suck the blood out of it. Sometimes the water they live in is red. I think it is hard to get leeches if your not a doctor.

From
Eric

BakuBak · Jan 28, 2004

Originally posted by Cockroach
The ones you are thinking about are the Medicinal Leach. I don't know their latin name, D

hirudinea medicinalis =D now you know =D =D =D

darkpredator3 do you know that you will become a food for them ?? they are blood suckers and i cant imagine enother way of feeding them than puting them on hand :?

danread · Jan 30, 2004

They are easy to keep. i did a project at school for my biology A levels. They can be fed using a dialysis bag full of cows blood. i bought the dialysis bags from a medical supplier, and the cows blood was free from my local butcher. They are interesting creatures. the ones i had got pretty big, up to about 8-10inches fully extended if i remember right.

Dan.

Mister Internet · Jan 30, 2004

If you live in an area where fishing is plentiful, check at any bait shop... most bait shops have live leeches available. Don't konw the species, but the ones I've used for walleye are about 3"-4" long and SQUIRMY.

Dark · Feb 22, 2004

Found a site that sells lots of leeches http://www.lolbait.com/prices.htm

From
Eric

whoami? · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by darkpredator3
Found a site that sells lots of leeches http://www.lolbait.com/prices.htm

From
Eric

Cool, but I think it's sort of disappointing that those leeches don't suck blood. Half of the reason I'd buy a leech is so that I can see what it's like to get parasitized by one.

Dark · Feb 25, 2004

I'm mad they don't suck blood too. My parents wouldn't let me get them if they sucked blood. I could tell my freinds they suck blood and scare them.

From
Eric

Navaros · Feb 25, 2004

Just lie to them.

minu · Oct 13, 2005

If is there someone intrested in leeches contact me on my e-mail. I have some.

Stylopidae · Oct 13, 2005

There's a really big species of leech that lives around where I live.

It's huge, about the length of a 20 0z pop bottle when stretched out. Maybe an inch or two smaller. It has orange stripes on it's sides, so if anyone knows what it could be I'd love a possible ID.

Mat · Oct 13, 2005

Sorry to dissapoint but most dont actually suck blood of humans. The great majority of leeches eat other invertrbrates or worms or feed on the blood of waterbirds or amphibians. In the UK we get one species (the Medicial Leech - very rare) that will feed on humans - most of the other 20ish species feed on inverts.

Matt

Scythemantis · Oct 13, 2005

When i say leeches I'm not talking about the ones that are on infected animals. I want some witch can't get me sick. The ones some doctors use on there victums.=D =D

I think you're under the impression that leeches are more parasitic than they actually are. Leeches don't "infect" anything...the bloodsucking species attach for a brief period to feed and then drop off. They're not like tapeworms or flukes that actually live on other creatures, and leeches don't carry any disease.

But yes, most are just predators.

I'd love to breed leeches in a small pond, not really for any productive reason. I'd be interested to know how to go about that, if they can overwinter etc.

Galapoheros · Oct 13, 2005

I grew up in central Tx and have caught many turtles in the creeks and ponds. Nine times out of ten, I could find at least one leach on a turtle. Usually about three of four on each turtle. These were pretty tough with a gray color pattern. Dark gray on a lighter gray. Not real big though. Biggest maybe was between 3 and four inches when extended.

minu · Oct 14, 2005

In my country are two species of leeches. One in smaller and it`s black and the other is green with two orange stripes. I have them in my home because i sell them for diferent things.

Leeches

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