Freshwater Leeches
The freshwater Leech is a parasite that feeds on the blood of fish, frogs, turtles and mammals. The freshwater leech is different from other leeches because they prey only on insects, snails, and small creatures. Freshwater leeches spend most of their day under rocks or leaves. They catch their prey by the vibrations the prey makes under water. Freshwater leeches are very skilled swimmers that come out of their hiding places and attach to their prey with its mouth. The mouth has extremely sharp teeth inside it which is the main weapon that leeches utilize. The Freshwater leech drinks its prey's blood until it is about five times its normal weight. The prey will continue to bleed once the leech releases its grip. They do not need to eat often, they can go a year or two without eating.
The leeches reproduce or mate by being next to each other and lining up with one other's anterior side opposite the other's posterior. The leech then shoots its sperm into the clittellur region of the other leech. After the freshwater leeches mate they lay eggs inside small cocoons in the muddy bottom. Freshwater leeches live for several years. |
|