Range: South America and Borneo

Habitat: Leaf litter, streams, wetlands, and more

Size: Up to 20 inches (51cm) long

Diet: Blood and earthworms

Threats: Habitat loss

Lifespan: Three years

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing giant leeches. Of the nearly 700 leech species alive today, a number of them deserve the name “giant”. We’ll be discussing three such species in today’s episode! To start, we have the giant Amazon leech. These leeches were believed to be extinct until a pair was found in the northern Amazon River Basin. If the name didn’t tip you off, this is where these giants live! The giant Amazon leech is an aquatic species. They’re also hermaphrodites. At about 5 grams in weight they develop male characteristics and at 8 grams they also show female characteristics! These may be the largest living aquatic leeches. They can reach almost eighteen inches (45cm) long! For reference, Chester’s body is eighteen inches long! Giant Amazon leeches eat blood. Instead of jaws, they have a long proboscis that sticks into an animal like a needle. This can reach nearly three inches (7.6cm) long! As in butterflies, the giant leech’s proboscis acts like a straw to suck up fluids. Their saliva is an anticoagulant that helps keep the blood flowing. After filling up on a meal, a giant Amazon leech can go half a year without eating again! These invertebrates can have hundreds of babies in a brood. Their babies are kept on the body until they’re ready to hatch at which point the parent brings the young to a host from which they take their first meal. They live to be at least three years old.

Next up we have what may be the largest living terrestrial leech. The Kinabalu giant red leech is endemic to the island of Borneo and is currently known to exist only on Mount Kinabalu, hence their common name. The “red” part of their name comes from their red color. Surprisingly, though one may think they get their red color from consuming blood, unlike many other leech species, the giant red leech is not hematophagic. They don’t eat blood! These leeches live in damp soil and leaf litter along with their prey: giant earthworms. Giant red leeches exclusively eat these giant earthworms. What’s more, they’re found at high elevations between 8,200 and 9,800 feet (2,500-3,000m) above sea level. Their small range and selective food source put them at risk for dying out if their habitat or food source are disrupted. In size, these annelids reach up to twenty inches (51cm) long!

Our final giant is another brightly colored beauty. As its common name suggests, the giant Chilean leech can be found in rainforests of southern Chile. This species comes in multiple patterns including completely orange! Like the giant red leech, the giant Chilean leech does not feed on blood. They, too, are carnivorous and eat earthworms. This means they aren’t dangerous to humans! Did you know not all leeches are parasitic? Giant Chilean leeches live in leaf litter near the edges of streams, sometimes even hiding underwater beneath rocks. Though not quite as large as the others on this list, these leeches still earn the title giant. They can reach almost a foot in length (31cm)! Something fascinating to note is that there’s debate in the scientific community whether or not these leeches have eyes!

For more facts on giant leeches, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!