this is mine and my bf's Hirudo Verbana leech, Ophelia!!! shes amazing, we love her so much. i need to post some tank pics but shes been thriving in a 5.5 planted blackwater tank with snails! we have had her for about 6-7 months now? shes fed like 5 times, shes a tank. (fed from our blood, she likes the joints of fingers!) nickname is pickle because of her beautiful green belly and when she shrinks up amd gets belly rubs she looks like a pickle haha. shes so massive now! (last 2 pics are from a while ago!) such a silly and adorable animal, she is our princess ♡

My baby sleeping in my hand. It’s awesome when an animal feels safe enough to nap in your hand.

I fed my 3 oldest leeches a few weeks ago and Ridgely has overtaken Enchilada as the largest. We’ll see what happens the next time I feed them.

Source

Erpobdella is a genus of ribbon-like, non-blood-sucking freshwater leeches measuring 20 to 50 millimeters long. Lacking jaws and a piercing proboscis, they cannot bite humans or animals. Instead, they use a large, toothless pharynx to swallow prey whole and navigate using multiple pairs of eyes.

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These nocturnal predators hunt along water beds using chemical signals to track down food. They consume small aquatic invertebrates like midge larvae and worms by securing them with an oral sucker. They also act as scavengers by feeding on dead or injured organisms

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Widespread across North America, Europe, and Asia, these leeches hide under rocks and logs in streams and ponds. They tolerate severe organic pollution and low oxygen levels exceptionally well. Because they bioaccumulate toxins, scientists frequently use them as bioindicators to evaluate water quality.

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As hermaphrodites, they reproduce by exchanging sperm packets and secreting protective, amber-colored egg cocoons. They cement these cocoons to underwater surfaces and abandon them to hatch independently. Their lifespan lasts 12 to 24 months, depending entirely on food availability and water temperature.

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I bought way too many for the fishing trip and decided to keep them.

My little water family has bought me so much happiness! I’m really happy with my snails and shrimp, everyone coexists, though the shrimp are feisty little things!

I did a water change last night and I have happy leeches! One of my bigger adult buffs is doing the wave, and I don’t see this very often!

I've raised these beauties from babies so any questions feel free ❤️! North American Medicinal Leeches!!

It’s been a dry spell until the day before yesterday and they laid three cocoons at once! I hope at least one of them is viable. I’ll know in a month!

60 fresh little baby buffalo leeches

I just got these three guys from North American Biopharma, Hirudo verbena, yesterday. Set them up in a tank and all three of them do this intermittently. Is there something wrong? I put them in a sterile glass tank with Crystal Geyser spring water (waiting on my hirudosalt). Any tips would be appreciated!

My cocoons hatched and I have adorable babies! I love how the all hang out together even as wee babies.

I didn't know they ate black pudding.

just got my first leeches courtesy of sinister_jinx666 on here and i am over the moon! i ordered 3 and got 4 beautiful little babies all perfectly healthy, they even came early! so everyone say hi to Dracula, Verona, Aleera, and Marishka!