464:
33:
72:
479:
350:
has anterior and posterior suckers that allow it to attach to a range of substrates in both air and water. It can even attach to porous, air-permeable substrates. In the wild, this ability may be relevant for attaching to porous rocks or the furry skin of host animals. The properties of leech suckers
525:
523:
289:). During a blood meal, a leech rhythmically contracts its muscles to draw blood from a host animal into the crop for storage. It can consume over five times its own weight in blood in one feeding. Once satiated, a leech detaches from its host.
266:. The crop consists of a primary canal with lateral ceca extending off from it. The crop connects to the intestinum at around the 19th-20th body segment. Alongside the alimentary canal are 17 pairs of
419:'s feeding, becomes three orders of magnitude more abundant after feeding and then gradually declines afterwards. The intestinum has a more diverse microbiome, containing (in addition to
308:
are removed from the consumed blood and excreted through a series of nephridia and bladders. As a result, the weight of blood is reduced by nearly half and the remaining erythrocytes (
531:"New research by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History shows medicinal leeches misclassified for centuries, are likely three species instead of one"
940:
338:. Amphibians such as tadpoles and juvenile hosts are important hosts for juvenile leeches, which cannot pierce mammalian skin for the first two feedings.
315:
This leech can go for up to six months in between blood meals. During this time, erythrocytes in the crop are slowly transported to the intestinum to be
914:
463:
1012:
888:
534:
979:
250:, but has recently been recognized as a separate species distinct from the traditional or European medicinal leech of that name.
258:
The body of this species is composed of 34 segments. Internally, it has a gut (alimentary canal) with two primary sections, the
559:
862:
945:
906:
71:
758:
Utevsky, Serge; Kovalenko, Nataliya; Doroshenko, Karyna; Petrauskienė, Laima; Klymenko, Vyacheslav (2009).
815:
478:
867:
202:
703:"Exploring the attachment of the Mediterranean medicinal leech ( Hirudo verbana ) to porous substrates"
984:
875:
853:
564:
437:
32:
795:
683:
246:
66:
953:
787:
779:
740:
722:
675:
636:
618:
378:
958:
701:
Kampowski, Tim; Thiemann, Lara-Louise; Kürner, Lukas; Speck, Thomas; Poppinga, Simon (2020).
1007:
771:
730:
714:
667:
626:
610:
159:
555:
271:
241:
116:
901:
735:
702:
631:
598:
442:
432:
309:
259:
1001:
759:
655:
445:. These may benefit the leech by providing nutrients which are scarce in blood (e.g.
294:
687:
799:
530:
971:
927:
847:
352:
286:
169:
838:
775:
446:
428:
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when it feeds, so its bite wounds continue bleeding for some time afterwards.
267:
139:
129:
893:
783:
726:
679:
622:
407:
401:
396:
335:
263:
83:
791:
744:
718:
640:
503:
832:
760:"Chromosome numbers for three species of medicinal leeches (Hirudo spp.)"
305:
671:
919:
656:"Medicinal Leeches: Historical use, Ecology, Genetics and Conservation"
614:
103:
932:
367:
323:
179:
93:
809:
966:
316:
231:
149:
56:
50:
880:
327:
813:
599:"Bacterial symbioses of the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana"
449:) or reducing colonisation of the gut by harmful bacteria.
452:
The nephridia and bladders also have bacterial symbionts.
304:
becomes largely inactive. Within its crop, water and some
822:
654:Elliott, J. Malcolm; Kutschera, Ulrich (2011).
597:Nelson, Michael C.; Graf, Joerg (2012-07-14).
8:
810:
31:
20:
734:
630:
373:number of 13, contrasting with the 14 of
560:"Medicinal leeches 'are the wrong kind'"
495:
459:
707:Journal of the Royal Society Interface
7:
907:a77423e2-a816-49f4-9dce-181b759f9d5a
592:
590:
588:
586:
584:
582:
319:so their nutrients can be absorbed.
40:Dorsal (a) and ventral (b) views of
535:American Museum of Natural History
14:
477:
462:
70:
441:and members of the α, γ, and δ
300:For a few hours after feeding,
395:is dominated by two bacterial
44:from Kızılırmak Delta, Turkey
1:
415:has a low abundance prior to
351:may be useful in design of
1029:
1013:Animals described in 1820
776:10.1007/s11230-009-9198-2
208:
201:
67:Scientific classification
65:
48:
39:
30:
23:
240:has long been used as a
764:Systematic Parasitology
719:10.1098/rsif.2020.0300
322:Host animals include
902:Fauna Europaea (new)
504:"Appendices | CITES"
346:Like other leeches,
312:) are concentrated.
672:10.1608/FRJ-4.1.417
565:The Daily Telegraph
438:Morganella morganii
262:and the intestinum/
660:Freshwater Reviews
615:10.4161/gmic.20227
244:under the species
995:
994:
954:Open Tree of Life
816:Taxon identifiers
713:(168): 20200300.
558:(11 April 2007).
411:-like bacterium.
223:
222:
60:
1020:
988:
987:
975:
974:
962:
961:
949:
948:
936:
935:
923:
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910:
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871:
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857:
856:
843:
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811:
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755:
749:
748:
738:
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651:
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634:
594:
577:
576:
574:
572:
552:
546:
545:
543:
541:
527:
518:
517:
515:
514:
500:
481:
469:Comparison with
466:
427:-like bacteria)
285:feeds on blood (
230:is a species of
214:
160:Arhynchobdellida
75:
74:
54:
35:
21:
16:Species of leech
1028:
1027:
1023:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1018:
1017:
998:
997:
996:
991:
983:
978:
970:
965:
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952:
944:
939:
931:
926:
918:
913:
905:
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866:
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852:
851:
846:
837:
836:
831:
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653:
652:
648:
596:
595:
580:
570:
568:
556:Roger Highfield
554:
553:
549:
539:
537:
529:
528:
521:
512:
510:
502:
501:
497:
492:
485:
482:
473:
467:
458:
389:
361:
344:
310:red blood cells
280:
256:
242:medicinal leech
219:
216:
210:
197:
194:H. verbana
117:Pleistoannelida
69:
61:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1026:
1024:
1016:
1015:
1010:
1000:
999:
993:
992:
990:
989:
976:
963:
950:
937:
924:
911:
898:
885:
872:
859:
854:Hirudo verbana
844:
828:
826:
824:Hirudo verbana
820:
819:
814:
806:
805:
750:
693:
646:
609:(4): 322–331.
578:
547:
519:
494:
493:
491:
488:
487:
486:
483:
476:
474:
471:H. medicinalis
468:
461:
457:
454:
443:Proteobacteria
388:
385:
377:and the 12 of
375:H. medicinalis
364:Hirudo verbana
360:
357:
355:suction cups.
343:
340:
295:anticoagulants
291:Hirudo verbana
283:Hirudo verbana
279:
276:
255:
252:
247:H. medicinalis
238:Hirudo verbana
227:Hirudo verbana
221:
220:
217:
212:Hirudo verbana
206:
205:
199:
198:
191:
189:
185:
184:
177:
173:
172:
167:
163:
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157:
153:
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147:
143:
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137:
133:
132:
127:
120:
119:
114:
107:
106:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
81:
77:
76:
63:
62:
49:
46:
45:
42:Hirudo verbana
37:
36:
28:
27:
25:Hirudo verbana
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1025:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1005:
1003:
986:
981:
977:
973:
968:
964:
960:
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951:
947:
942:
938:
934:
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899:
895:
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855:
849:
845:
840:
834:
830:
829:
827:
825:
821:
817:
812:
801:
797:
793:
789:
785:
781:
777:
773:
770:(2): 95–102.
769:
765:
761:
754:
751:
746:
742:
737:
732:
728:
724:
720:
716:
712:
708:
704:
697:
694:
689:
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677:
673:
669:
665:
661:
657:
650:
647:
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633:
628:
624:
620:
616:
612:
608:
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593:
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583:
579:
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536:
532:
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465:
460:
455:
453:
450:
448:
444:
440:
439:
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430:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
409:
404:
403:
398:
394:
386:
384:
382:
381:
380:H. orientalis
376:
372:
369:
365:
358:
356:
354:
349:
341:
339:
337:
333:
329:
325:
320:
318:
313:
311:
307:
303:
298:
296:
292:
288:
284:
277:
275:
273:
270:, as well as
269:
265:
261:
253:
251:
249:
248:
243:
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235:
233:
229:
228:
215:
213:
207:
204:
203:Binomial name
200:
196:
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190:
187:
186:
183:
182:
178:
175:
174:
171:
168:
165:
164:
161:
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138:
135:
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128:
125:
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112:
109:
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105:
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99:
98:
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89:
88:
85:
82:
79:
78:
73:
68:
64:
58:
52:
47:
43:
38:
34:
29:
26:
22:
19:
823:
767:
763:
753:
710:
706:
696:
666:(1): 21–41.
663:
659:
649:
606:
603:Gut Microbes
602:
569:. Retrieved
563:
550:
538:. Retrieved
511:. Retrieved
507:
498:
470:
451:
436:
433:Fusobacteria
424:
420:
416:
412:
406:
400:
392:
391:The crop of
390:
379:
374:
363:
362:
347:
345:
321:
314:
301:
299:
290:
282:
281:
257:
245:
237:
236:
226:
225:
224:
218:Carena, 1820
211:
209:
193:
192:
180:
123:
110:
41:
24:
18:
928:iNaturalist
848:Wikispecies
332:water birds
287:hematophagy
170:Hirudinidae
53:Appendix II
1002:Categories
513:2024-01-17
490:References
447:B vitamins
429:Firmicutes
417:H. verbana
405:sp. and a
393:H. verbana
387:Microbiome
371:chromosome
353:biomimetic
348:H. verbana
342:Attachment
336:amphibians
302:H. verbana
146:Subclass:
140:Clitellata
130:Sedentaria
784:0165-5752
727:1742-5689
680:1755-084X
623:1949-0976
571:20 August
540:20 August
508:cites.org
425:Rikenella
421:Aeromonas
413:Aeromonas
408:Rikenella
402:Aeromonas
397:symbionts
306:osmolytes
268:nephridia
264:intestine
188:Species:
150:Hirudinea
90:Kingdom:
84:Eukaryota
967:Species+
839:Q1352793
833:Wikidata
792:19731093
745:32673516
688:49530224
641:22572874
272:bladders
166:Family:
104:Annelida
100:Phylum:
94:Animalia
80:Domain:
1008:Leeches
985:1324814
959:1037686
920:8845441
881:3123696
800:7947757
736:7423445
632:3463490
456:Gallery
368:haploid
324:mammals
278:Feeding
254:Anatomy
176:Genus:
156:Order:
136:Class:
55: (
946:311461
933:505579
894:238501
798:
790:
782:
743:
733:
725:
686:
678:
639:
629:
621:
484:Cocoon
366:has a
359:Genome
181:Hirudo
980:WoRMS
889:EUNIS
868:25255
796:S2CID
684:S2CID
399:: an
317:lysed
293:uses
232:leech
124:Clade
111:Clade
57:CITES
51:CITES
972:6167
941:NCBI
915:GBIF
863:BOLD
788:PMID
780:ISSN
741:PMID
723:ISSN
676:ISSN
637:PMID
619:ISSN
573:2013
542:2013
423:and
334:and
328:fish
260:crop
876:EoL
772:doi
731:PMC
715:doi
668:doi
627:PMC
611:doi
1004::
982::
969::
956::
943::
930::
917::
904::
891::
878::
865::
850::
835::
794:.
786:.
778:.
768:74
766:.
762:.
739:.
729:.
721:.
711:17
709:.
705:.
682:.
674:.
662:.
658:.
635:.
625:.
617:.
605:.
601:.
581:^
562:.
533:.
522:^
506:.
435:,
431:,
383:.
330:,
326:,
274:.
234:.
126::
113::
802:.
774::
747:.
717::
690:.
670::
664:4
643:.
613::
607:3
575:.
544:.
516:.
59:)
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