Regular Member Kissy Posted June 28, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2008 I knnoooowwww you guys have just been DYING to see pictures of my leeches haha. Adult Erpobdella punctata Here are some of the containers with juvenile Ep leeches. I mainly take care of these guys. One of the juvenile Erpobdellas, Ep8 Ep512, one of the breeder adults The main breeding tanks for the Erpobdellas A dish of juvenile (almost adult) Helobdella stagnalis. These are the ones that exhibit parental care toward their young. They are kind of a pain to take care of because they are so small and "sticky". Petri dishes full of H.s, genereations p, 1, and 2 as of right now. They breed like crazy. Ep512 and I <3 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted June 28, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2008 And here are some photos of Montezuma's Well, the main area we do field research. The Well. The Indian ruins are right below the cliff I'm standing on. Packing up Becky looking for leeches Me in waders 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted June 28, 2008 Admin Share Posted June 28, 2008 Who do they feed hun? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Anic Posted June 29, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 Oooh, the well is so pretty! That sounds like a fun summer job. How are leeches 'sticky'? They ones I've felt have all been slickery... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted June 29, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 Both species pictured above eat bloodworms and will not suck blood. We do have some blood-suckers in the lab but they are just for fun. We feed those guys chicken and beef liver. I say "sticky" because they have suction cups on both ends and its a weird feeling when they suction on to you. I've been working with them since march. I'm going home for a month and a half and it will be weird to not take care of them all the time. I'm starting my own project in the fall but I will probably still help Becky with her leeches anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member jsrtist Posted June 29, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 Wow!! What a great job you have. I LOVE being among a crowd where it isn't unusual to post pictures of your leeches! They are fascinating. I have never touched one before. How big do the adults get? Were the adults pictured full grown? What sort of research do you use them for? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Shamu23 Posted June 29, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 thats really cool! I like leeches, they're interesting to watch! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nichjake Posted June 29, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 Wow, thats really cool! I didn't even know there were leeches that didn't suck blood ....guess I ought to learn more about them huh lol 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted June 29, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2008 The black one is full grown, and the the stagnalis usually get around 1/2" or so. In the tropics, some species get as big as your fore arm...AND suck blood None of the species native to Arizona suck blood. Haha I made that photo and Ep512 and I my facebook profile picture. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Halloween Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I got a leech stuck to my foot once after walking in shallow water in a river and I dropped to the ground screaming "get it off get it off" I drew a crowd. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member svendenhowser Posted June 30, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2008 Thats so cool! Looks like an awesome job After a bit of rain I had a leech sucking my leg off when I was 12 (in grade 7 - primary school), it was in the middle of a reading session and I was sitting on the floor in the middle of the class, I managed to get it off and let it squirm/crawl/roll/whatever they do to the person sitting close, they totally freaked out when they couldn't get it off hehehehe. At least I knew it couldn't hurt me, it even gave me a love bite on my ankle 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Chrissy_Bee Posted June 30, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2008 Very cool pics!! I laughed out loud of the one of you in waders because I have to wear them for my work too, and last month I got interviewed for a local paper. I made a comment to my supervisor about "I hope they don't print of pic of me in these stupid waders" and of course....they did 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dfernandez77 Posted June 30, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2008 Me in waders Ooh! Sexy! Rrrowr... Ok, maybe not. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member heidiinatree@yahoo.ca Posted June 30, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2008 last time I saw a leech is when I was in Manitoba swimming in a lake ..and I had seven attached to me .. ...*shivers* 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fishmerised Posted July 1, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 1, 2008 You lucky girl, is this your job or are you studying? Fascinating stuff I'm sure but leeches are one of those things that freak me out, I mean freak with a capital F, I go crazy if one gets on me and jump around and scream like an idiot until someone gets it off. lol 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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