The Freshwater Leech is a parasite that feeds on the blood of fish, frogs, turtles, and mammals. It should not be confused with other leeches, most of which prey only on insects, snails, and small creatures.

Freshwater Leeches spend the day under rocks or leaves on the lake or stream bottom. They detect their prey by the vibrations it makes in the water. The leech, which is an excellent swimmer, then comes out of its hiding place and attaches to the host animal. It can attach with its mouth or another sucker on its tail.

The mouth sucker has sharp teeth, which the leech uses to cut into the skin of the host animal. It releases a special chemical, called an enzyme, which has two jobs. First, the enzyme is an anesthesia, which means it numbs the area where the leech is feeding so the host does not feel it. Second, the enzyme is an anti-coagulant, which means it helps blood flow freely. The Freshwater Leech drinks blood until it is about five times its normal weight. Then it releases its grip and finds a new hiding place. The enzyme will cause the host to keep bleeding, even after the leech is gone, until it wears off.

Freshwater Leeches do not need to eat often. They can even go a year or two without a meal.

Leeches, just like their earthworm cousins, are hermaphrodites. This means that after they mate, both leeches can lay eggs. The leeches lay eggs inside small coccoons in the muddy bottom. Young leeches hatch from the coccoons when they are ready. It is not known how long Freshwater Leeches live, but it is for several years at least.

If a leech wants to move around, it can swim quickly or crawl on the bottom like an inchworm. Freshwater Leeches are often seen on the legs of snapping turtles, one of their favorite hosts.

Besides their hosts, these leeches will somtimes feed on amphibian eggs or snails.

Predators of Freshwater Leeches include fish, turtles, crayfish, and water birds.

Relationships in Nature:

PREY/FOOD	PREDATORS	SHELTER	OTHER
Common Snapping Turtle	Largemouth Bass	Common Duckweed	Eastern Painted Turtle H
Eastern Painted Turtle	Channel Catfish	Yellow Pond Lily	Common Snapping Turtle H
Bullfrog	Bluegill	Common Cattail	Bullfrog H
Channel Catfish	Yellow Perch	Pickerelweed	Muskrat H
Muskrat	Crayfish	Arrow Arum	Beaver H
Beaver	Black Crappie	Common Reed	Human H
Human	Mallard	Tussock Sedge	Raccoon H
Raccoon	Green Darner	Lizard's Tail	White-tailed Deer H
White-tailed Deer	Common Snapping Turtle	Marsh Bulrush	Striped Skunk H
Wood Frog	Eastern Painted Turtle
Green Frog	Northern Water Snake
Stagnant Pond Snail	Wood Duck
Striped Skunk	Yellow Bullhead
Spotted Salamander	Eastern Mosquitofish
Southern Leopard Frog	Northern Hog Sucker
	Green Hydra

Relationship to Humans:

Freshwater Leeches can be annoying and they often gross people out. They do no real harm, however, since they do not take enough blood to cause problems. In the past, doctors even used these leeches to drain blood from people on purpose! Today, fishermen use leeches for bait.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

KINGDOM Animal PHYLUM Annelid CLASS Hirudinea ORDER Gnathobdellida FAMILY Hirudinidae GENUS Macrobdella SPECIES Macrobella decora

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