Project Leech - Learning How to Rear a Leech 2

Leech

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leeches are annelids comprising the subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater, terrestrial, and marine leeches. Like the Oligochaeta, they share the presence of a clitellum. Like earthworms, leeches are hermaphrodites. Some, but not all leeches are hematophagous.

The European Medical Leech (Hirudo medicinalis) and some congeners as well as some other species have been used for clinical bloodletting for thousands of years, although most leeches do not feed on human blood, but instead prey on small invertebrates, which they eat whole.

Haemophagic leeches attach to their hosts and remain there until they become full, at which point they fall off to digest. A leech's body is composed of 34 segments. They all have an anterior (oral) sucker formed from the first six segments of their body, which is used to connect to a host for feeding, and also release an anesthetic to prevent the host from feeling the leech. They use a combination of mucus and suction (caused by concentric muscles in those six segments) to stay attached and secrete an anti-clotting enzyme, hirudin, into the host's blood stream.

Some species of leech will nurture their young, while providing food, transport, and protection, which is unusual behavior amongst annelids

Leech like to rest in group at the edge of the plastic container.

Leech food. B1 from Yati lintah. For more visit http://www.yatilintah.com/

Bought floating plants from nursery @ Rm1. These plants easy to grow and multiply fast.

Project Leech - Learning How to Rear a Leech

I learn about this leech farming thing from my colleague and sound very interesting and decided to test rearing this little animal. I ask my friend at Kluang to buy for me one bottle containing around 50 leeches which cost me total Rm100 @ Rm2 per leech. I bought a normal container box and filled with filter water ( leech not fond of chorin water, prefereable let the water sit in for 5 -6 days before use ). After this, I release the leeches and watch them swimming around....to be continue...

I open the box and put inside the plastic container and let the leech come out by its own.

Some of the leech still prefer in the small container probably feel safer inside.