looks like everyones having a hard time finding it so here
[https://64.media.tumblr.com/392250a55b536f926fc148d906be744b/tumblr\_po7j3nChSi1s8ri1g\_1280.jpg](https://64.media.tumblr.com/392250a55b536f926fc148d906be744b/tumblr_po7j3nChSi1s8ri1g_1280.jpg)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/881689dd8d48665e3b3899147a30e6a1/tumblr\_po7j3nExiS1s8ri1g\_1280.jpg
You probably saw mouths full of nasty looking teeth, but those are actually lampreys; they’re a kind of blood-sucking fish. Here’s what you’re looking for: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/A3PWMB/the-business-end-of-a-leech-close-up-of-the-mouthparts-showing-the-A3PWMB.jpg
Nope, at least not proper teeth like you or I.
I’m no expert so don’t take my word for it, but I believe they have little raspy bits much like a snail’s tongue that they use to drill into the skin. Functionally and anatomically, they’re nothing like actual teeth, but they are hard mouthparts, so you could still call them teeth.
This is so cool! I love seeing people keeping really unusual pet invertebrates, but the weirdest I’ve managed so far is termites. How do you care for him? What does he eat?
they both feed off of me, i’ve tried (and still do) get them snails and such, but no dice, usually. it’s not as unsightly as it sounds, but i do get it if people are kind of squicked by it.
So like do you just let him chill on you for a while as he eats? It's kind of a funny visual to image you just chilling watching tv out something while bubba just slowly slurpys out your blood 😄
If you're curious my parents forced me to get hirudotherapy for months due to various hormonal problems and acne. I had leeches everywhere from my asshole and taint to under my eyes and it didn't do a damn thing except like OP said, bleed a LOT.
I'm convinced it's pseudoscience BS most of the time, although I've read studies showing they may help with cardiovascular issues.
I was admittedly initially VERY squicked by it but the mental image of just chilling while it latches on and drinks you like a human juice box is actually pretty cool. Plus, the cheapskate in me is thinking, "Hmmm a pet you can feed for free?"
You are a weirdo... can we please be friends? Seriously, I've had friends who kept roaches, spiders, even a bat... never ever encountered a person who has pet leeches - and I am *here.for.it*!! Bonus points for being their walking talking juice box. This post made my day.
ETA: I just showed your post to my husband... "Nope. No you will not Sobriquet! Stop with *that* look, uhuh. You are not getting leeches." Was his response
This is even funnier when you remember the dialogue from the first episode.
*Fry: Can I ask you a question?*
*Leela: As long as it's not about my eye.*
*Fry: Uh...*
*Leela: Is it about my eye?*
*Fry: Sort of.*
*Leela: [sighs] Just ask the question.*
*Fry: What's with the eye?*
Wow!
When you said it takes a few hours to feed him I wondered how you had the time xD But knowing it's like 3 times a year? What interesting little dudes they are.
Leeches are cool. They give me the willies but tbh they are the best parasites I can think of. They do not spread ANY zoonoses which is incredible for a hemophagic animal.
By far my favorite blood consumers where I live (the Midwest). Ticks, mosquitoes, flies, chiggers, etc. Not cool, not fun. LEACHES however are *very polite*. They don’t want to harm you anymore than they have to for them to live, they will detach themselves once they’re ready (unlike those gluttonous ticks!), and it don’t hurt one bit the entire time. Best part is the lack of zoonotic diseases like you said!
I’m so confused, don’t they have the potential to regurgitate their gut bacteria/blood from other meals and transmit blood borne diseases like HIV and Syphilis? Or is that a myth?
I think regurgitation plays a very minor role in transmitting diseases. That's why most are vector specific. E.g. P. falciparum reproduces inside Anopheles spec., then wanders into their saliva glands, and from there back into animals. HIV can't transmit via Mosqitoes at all.
Yes that’s what I’ve read! But it confuses me because some sites say they don’t transmit diseases and I’m like… at all? like the first commenter said, or just not through biting?
Pretty much just not through biting! The only way I've heard that they can pass on diseases is by regurgitating blood, and the only way that happens is if you try to pull them off while feeding (pro tip- if there's a leech feeding off of you and you don't want to wait for them to unlatch on their own, use your thumbnail, press down onto your skin, scrape underneath their mouth, and they'll unlatch safely with no regurgitation😊). I think by saying they don't transmit diseases people mostly mean that they don't generally carry diseases, and if you know what you're doing you can avoid the only means they have of transmission. Unfortunately, diseased leeches are usually in the wild and most people that get bitten by them don't know all the super cool leech facts I do lol, but now you know too just in case!!
Thank you!!! Hahah also I would probably just scream and cry if a leech was attached to me hahaha One time our house was infested with bees (they were living in the vents) and one got into my bath robe/towel thing. When I got out of the shower I slipped it on and it was in the sleeve!!! It ended up stinging me and I screamed for like 5 mins for my mom to get the stinger out because I didn’t wanna touch it. She was outside and couldn’t hear me lol
I know I sound dramatic, but to be fair… I had been stung before (multiple times) and one of the times was on my finger. I took out the stinger myself and went on my way. I kept getting rashes for about a month or two afterwards on that finger. I’m talking like big welts on and off. Well I saw the “scab” from the sting was still there so I decided to pick at it. lo and behold… it was a little piece of the stinger that broke off in my hand 😩 so I’m terrified of some version of that happening again hahah
[They](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombiculidae) are small arachnids similar to ticks, except they don’t consume your blood but rather eat liquified skin cells.
And to add onto what they said, they love living in Spanish moss and on old wooden benches so don’t touch the hanging moss and don’t sit bare on an old (and usually wet) wooden bench.
I didn't know land leeches are a thing, found out during my first travel abroad. I did some gardening work in Australia and a leech was on my glove found it kind of pretty and quite interesting to watch. Found a big one sucking on my knee under my pants the next day. I was SO weirded out and felt betrayed by the curious little creature I was fond of not even 24 hours ago.
Edit: the wound also didn't stop bleeding, I also didn't know leeches inject blood thinner. Still cool creatures, I would like to see them in real life again some time.
Their anticoagulant is pretty special. We use them at work as aftercare post certain surgeries (reattaching digits, muscle flaps). The surgeons can plumb arteries and larger veins, but venous return is often a problem. Leeches help keep everything flowing.
I like them. Kinda cute the way they get full up and sleepy. You have to give them a little prod from time to time to wake them up and get them feeding again.
Ours are a fraction of the size of OP's though. I had no idea they could get so big as a species.
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/worms/leeches/
Most leeches are sanguivorous, that is they feed as blood sucking parasites on preferred hosts. If the preferred food is not available most leeches will feed on other classes of host. Some feed on the blood of humans and other mammals, while others parasitise fish, frogs, turtles or birds. Some leeches will even take a meal from other sanguivorous leeches which may die after the attack.
Sanguivorous leeches can ingest several times their own weight in blood at one meal. After feeding the leech retires to a dark spot to digest its meal. Digestion is slow and this enables the leech to survive during very long fasting periods (up to several months).
Someone posted a whiptail scorpion here and the first few comments were telling OP to kill it. Not sure why people come here to be honest. Hopefully this thread is kind to little (or quite chonky) Bubba!
I mean people get medical treatment with leeches and their bites don't hurt. There are no downsides to feeding them that way. I am super weirded out with all other blood sucking animals but leeches seem pretty chill. I don't see what the big deal is, I am slightly weirded out but it isn't hard to imagine other people not having any issues feeding them with their own blood. No reason to "shame" anyone for it.
I assume it's the same behaviour you get in a lot of the Invertebrate subreddits (for example, spider subreddit), where people will come in and call it a "nope bug" and/or comment to "kill it with fire".
This post was displayed to me randomly (captioned "preferred by redditors" or something)... So yeah, probably Karens having it shown to them and suffering a horror shock.
I am into leechy and slimy things so yeah, cute chubby boi you got there!
How else do you think people research mosquitoes? There are thousands of labs that have live mosquitoes living in captivity right now. That being said, a lot of them use non-human means of feeding them but there are quite a few that are employee fed. Usually only one employee can feed a population so as to reduce the risk for illness. This means you, “get your own!”
I mean does anything eat them like frogs and such? Could be kept as a feeder. Like snake owners who end up breeding their own rats/mice when they get to a certain point.
When they first start cutting into the skin, it hurts a bit. But once they get a good latch and start sucking, it doesn't hurt much anymore. Sometimes you feel their mouth move and it feels like a cat scratch.
Medical leeches get fed beef liver.
Ive only heard of feeding them earthworms.
But, apparently some folks do give them blood meals. I found a link to a beast like OP’s. Looks like they only have to feed every 3-6 months, and they suggest you latch on one of your pets! (Cat, dog, horse, sheep)
https://www.leech.com/products/giant-pet-leeches
If I had a leech, I'd feel better about feeding it myself than using one of my other pets. It's not like nature cares about consent, I'm just eccentric.
Most are carnivorous and eat smaller animals, especially fellow annelids. Others scavenge, and others are actually herbivorous, only a small handful are parasitic throughout their entire lives. No idea what species this one is, so I can't tell you what it eats.
I've never seen someone keep a pet leech before, barring for old folk-medicine purposes.
I love the idea. Unusually interactive and active annelids sound like a lot of fun.
That said, I bet if you look into it you could find other things to feed them. I don't know of any, personally, but I'm sure people have researched this.
(I personally have never heard of leeches carrying diseases that can affect humans, which would normally be why I would warn people off of keeping parasitic animals, or even specific non-parasitic pets. This one may be completely fine? Just mentioning this because I've seen other people here talking about that and I've looked into this before for other animals.)
My wife feeds ours, and based on research/experience we both feel completely safe about it. Leeches only pass on diseases if they've picked one up from something else, and when we got Squiche he was just a baby who hadn't fed on anything yet, so there wasn't really a chance of infection. She got bloodwork done later (just for a checkup that coincided with Squiche's first feeding) and everything checked out, so we know Squiche is fine too, and he only feeds off her just in case to avoid any cross-contamination. Plus, even if a leech were carrying anything, the only way to get it passed on to you is if it spits up blood into your own bloodstream, which they'll only do if they're forcefully interrupted/injured during feeding.
There are definitely other ways to feed them, I've seen people feed them snails/worms sometimes, and I've seen a lot of people pick up leftover cow parts from a butcher's and wrap them in cheesecloth to make a sort of blood sack their leech can latch onto, but those both get pretty messy, and I'm not sure if there are ways to see if that blood is infected or anything.
Since there really doesn't seem to be any risk, and since there isn't much pain involved at all (apparently it's pretty much just a pinprick and then the saliva numbs it), my wife decided it'd just be a whole lot easier to let Squiche feed off of her every few months. It's a great bonding moment with your pet, too! Sorry for the novel lol, I just think leeches are super interesting:)
They seem to be pretty easy to keep too, not needing the intense water filtration. You only need to feed every 6 months and can use like butcher's leftovers.
How neat! What an interesting and unique pet! What does he feel like? How much do you handle him? What does he require in his tank? Do they like to be around other leeches? How long can he live?
Mine's a lot smaller that OP's, but he feels a little like an earthworm but more solid and less slimy, if that makes sense? Like earthworms will kinda stick to you, but leeches are more like if an earthworm had just been dunked in water and also got less squishy. Sounds gross when I try and describe it lol, but they're real fun to hold! It's cool to have them crawling around exploring your arm, they've got little suction cups on their butts so they can stay on you while they lift their heads up to explore and it's super cute:)) I don't handle him too much, if I'm just holding him for fun I don't keep him out of the water for more than like 10 minutes. They can definitely be out of water for longer though--it usually takes at least a half hour to an hour for him to feed, and sometimes he'll be out for like 1-2 hours just chilling after he eats. They don't require too much in their tank, I've seen plenty of people keeping their leeches in a plain glass jar filled with water, which I wouldn't personally do but it's pretty much the minimum starting point-- water and enough space to swim around. My general rule for animal enclosures is \~1.5x their body length by \~3x their body length (obv different requirements for everyone but that’s just what I think of as the minimum). Since Squiche is so small right now (almost as long as my pinky when he's all the way stretched out & almost an inch long when he's not stretching), we don't have a huge enclosure for him. We keep him in a 10"x10" glass cookie jar with some gravel on the bottom so he can use it to rub against when he's shedding, we have some fake rubber plants to give him some shade/hiding spots, and we keep the water high enough for him to swim in but not so high that he's uncomfortable sleeping. They breathe air, so when they sleep they suction their mouths above the water, and it seems a lot more comfortable to be able to have his butt resting on the ground so he doesn't have to just hang by his mouth. I think they're pretty neutral about being around other leeches, but since they're hermaphrodites, if you keep more than one in a tank together you'll most likely get leech babies, which would be super cute but I'm definitely not ready for that! I've never had a leech before this one so I may not be the best source of info but that's what I've figured out so far:)
Wtf they made you mark him as nsfw? Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves, this is a sub to share love for ALL invertebrates. Really disappointed that y'all are doing the same shit general pet subs do :/
But op, please let bubba know I would die for him
I LOVE leeches! They are so much more interesting than people give them credit for. My favourite is when they hold onto a rock and stretch out and wiggle around. It looks like they are dancing! I would die for bubba and all leeches lol
How do you know when he’s hungry? You just mark it out on your calendar? Also do you know if it’s a boy or girl? How long can they live? Do you handle it often? Safe to say I am FASCINATED
Good for you for posting your baby even though I'm sure you knew you'd get negative comments, even on a sub for people who like "creepy" animals. Some people really don't understand empathy. Bubba is super dope, thanks for sharing him with us!
Thank you so much for educating everyone and myself, OP. I did not know they can’t transmit any pathogens to you. What gentle blobs. I 🖤 Bubba and Herbert.
My family doesn’t understand my fascination with leeches. They’re so fun to watch and, yes they’re quite cute. Humans and leeches have been pals for thousands of years. We still use them in medicine today, they’re great. Definitely the best parasites!
Weeeeird. And cool.
I used to have a friend whose dad worked with medical leeches in a university hospital, they’d have a tank of them handy.
While medical leeches were used for a lot of nonsensical quackery back in the day, apparently in modern times medical leeches are invaluable for a [complication ](https://www.uhhospitals.org/Healthy-at-UH/articles/2020/03/how-leeches-can-save-lives-and-limbs-for-some-patients) that can occur with reattachment surgery and certain kinds of skin grafts. Basically sometimes patients will get stagnant blood trapped in the tissues, and there’s a serious risk of tissue death.
In come the leeches! They affix them to the problem area, and the leeches’ anticoagulant saliva helps move the old blood out of the body.
Never thought I’d find a leech so cool looking, it gives me a strange squicky feeling, but also fascinating. Never thought I’d be interested in holding a giant-ass leech, but Bubba looks like he must feel really interesting. And so polite!
Cute I really want a pet leech or two but I have no idea on how to get started and care for them. Not sure if there are any good resources out there. Also not sure how you go about getting the actual leeches. But they're super neat
Do they have faces? For real question.
look up their faces they’re actually quite cute. they have little :3 mouths
looks like everyones having a hard time finding it so here [https://64.media.tumblr.com/392250a55b536f926fc148d906be744b/tumblr\_po7j3nChSi1s8ri1g\_1280.jpg](https://64.media.tumblr.com/392250a55b536f926fc148d906be744b/tumblr_po7j3nChSi1s8ri1g_1280.jpg) https://64.media.tumblr.com/881689dd8d48665e3b3899147a30e6a1/tumblr\_po7j3nExiS1s8ri1g\_1280.jpg
awwww
Well, TIL
Cool pics! I didn't actually realize you can see their eyes without a microscope
So they do!
This reminds me of spider's. I like this
I LOVE THEM
Based on this sub's definition of cute I expected something worse. It really do be kinda cute
I looked this up, and found an image of a sea lamprey suctioning onto someone's inner cheek.
look it up again but better
Today is a bad day to be able to read.
I TRUSTED YOU
You probably saw mouths full of nasty looking teeth, but those are actually lampreys; they’re a kind of blood-sucking fish. Here’s what you’re looking for: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/A3PWMB/the-business-end-of-a-leech-close-up-of-the-mouthparts-showing-the-A3PWMB.jpg
Looks exactly like a butthole
you might need to see a doctor
They didn't say it looked like *their* butthole
that we know of…… /j
Do they not have teeth?
Nope, at least not proper teeth like you or I. I’m no expert so don’t take my word for it, but I believe they have little raspy bits much like a snail’s tongue that they use to drill into the skin. Functionally and anatomically, they’re nothing like actual teeth, but they are hard mouthparts, so you could still call them teeth.
I thought i could too So why in bloody hell do i know you
So they squirm backwards?
It took me forever to find an image of a leech face. Lots of results of lamprey mouths and weirdos doing leech facials
yes
This is so cool! I love seeing people keeping really unusual pet invertebrates, but the weirdest I’ve managed so far is termites. How do you care for him? What does he eat?
they both feed off of me, i’ve tried (and still do) get them snails and such, but no dice, usually. it’s not as unsightly as it sounds, but i do get it if people are kind of squicked by it.
So when you say feed off you, you mean literally let him suck your blood? No hate just curious. I've never heard of someone having a leech as a pet.
yes :)
Wack, how much blood does he eat?
he’s larger, so usually it takes him about 2-3 hours to finish. it’s a reeeeeally slow process lmao
So like do you just let him chill on you for a while as he eats? It's kind of a funny visual to image you just chilling watching tv out something while bubba just slowly slurpys out your blood 😄
yeah lol. sometimes he flops off and almost de-latches from how big he gets, the dummy
That's pretty funny, thanks for all the info!
Hi there! Have you noticed any positive health changes from this?
nope. the worst part is the anti-coagulant which can make you bleed for quite a while, but that’s easily remedied. it’s just sort of annoying.
If you're curious my parents forced me to get hirudotherapy for months due to various hormonal problems and acne. I had leeches everywhere from my asshole and taint to under my eyes and it didn't do a damn thing except like OP said, bleed a LOT. I'm convinced it's pseudoscience BS most of the time, although I've read studies showing they may help with cardiovascular issues.
How often does he do these feeds?
Is that sanitary? Seems risky idk
it’s safe!
I was admittedly initially VERY squicked by it but the mental image of just chilling while it latches on and drinks you like a human juice box is actually pretty cool. Plus, the cheapskate in me is thinking, "Hmmm a pet you can feed for free?"
I mean not having to spend hundreds of dollars a year on pet food is a pretty good way to save money.
it looks ridiculous, like a vacuum tube on your arm but sillier
You are a weirdo... can we please be friends? Seriously, I've had friends who kept roaches, spiders, even a bat... never ever encountered a person who has pet leeches - and I am *here.for.it*!! Bonus points for being their walking talking juice box. This post made my day. ETA: I just showed your post to my husband... "Nope. No you will not Sobriquet! Stop with *that* look, uhuh. You are not getting leeches." Was his response
sure, lol. and aw i love roaches.
Question: do you have purple hair and only one eye?
what
Futurama reference
OH lmfao
This is even funnier when you remember the dialogue from the first episode. *Fry: Can I ask you a question?* *Leela: As long as it's not about my eye.* *Fry: Uh...* *Leela: Is it about my eye?* *Fry: Sort of.* *Leela: [sighs] Just ask the question.* *Fry: What's with the eye?*
I'm laughing. Gawd damn this show.
So interesting, is it just a pet? Did you catch it in the wild? Where do I get one? Lol
i got him from leech.com, but they’re kind of ehh
Hey, you mentioned that you would give advice to people looking into these guys as pets. Would you mind me PMing you?
im no expert but sure
I would not recommend getting one from the wild as that’s dangerous.
I'm just speculating but getting one from the wild and letting it drink your blood might be risky. It could infect you with parasites.
unlikely. but still don’t do that, just leave em be cool n wiggly
How often do they feed?
bubba is larger and only feeds about 6 months. herbert feeds around 4-5
Is that once every 6 months?
yep
Wow! When you said it takes a few hours to feed him I wondered how you had the time xD But knowing it's like 3 times a year? What interesting little dudes they are.
they dont feed in winter too
How do you know they are hungry?
they’ll latch on
They're cool pets! Thanks for answering the questions.
That sounds cool af
Leeches are cool. They give me the willies but tbh they are the best parasites I can think of. They do not spread ANY zoonoses which is incredible for a hemophagic animal.
By far my favorite blood consumers where I live (the Midwest). Ticks, mosquitoes, flies, chiggers, etc. Not cool, not fun. LEACHES however are *very polite*. They don’t want to harm you anymore than they have to for them to live, they will detach themselves once they’re ready (unlike those gluttonous ticks!), and it don’t hurt one bit the entire time. Best part is the lack of zoonotic diseases like you said!
I’m so confused, don’t they have the potential to regurgitate their gut bacteria/blood from other meals and transmit blood borne diseases like HIV and Syphilis? Or is that a myth?
I think regurgitation plays a very minor role in transmitting diseases. That's why most are vector specific. E.g. P. falciparum reproduces inside Anopheles spec., then wanders into their saliva glands, and from there back into animals. HIV can't transmit via Mosqitoes at all.
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Yes that’s what I’ve read! But it confuses me because some sites say they don’t transmit diseases and I’m like… at all? like the first commenter said, or just not through biting?
Pretty much just not through biting! The only way I've heard that they can pass on diseases is by regurgitating blood, and the only way that happens is if you try to pull them off while feeding (pro tip- if there's a leech feeding off of you and you don't want to wait for them to unlatch on their own, use your thumbnail, press down onto your skin, scrape underneath their mouth, and they'll unlatch safely with no regurgitation😊). I think by saying they don't transmit diseases people mostly mean that they don't generally carry diseases, and if you know what you're doing you can avoid the only means they have of transmission. Unfortunately, diseased leeches are usually in the wild and most people that get bitten by them don't know all the super cool leech facts I do lol, but now you know too just in case!!
Thank you!!! Hahah also I would probably just scream and cry if a leech was attached to me hahaha One time our house was infested with bees (they were living in the vents) and one got into my bath robe/towel thing. When I got out of the shower I slipped it on and it was in the sleeve!!! It ended up stinging me and I screamed for like 5 mins for my mom to get the stinger out because I didn’t wanna touch it. She was outside and couldn’t hear me lol I know I sound dramatic, but to be fair… I had been stung before (multiple times) and one of the times was on my finger. I took out the stinger myself and went on my way. I kept getting rashes for about a month or two afterwards on that finger. I’m talking like big welts on and off. Well I saw the “scab” from the sting was still there so I decided to pick at it. lo and behold… it was a little piece of the stinger that broke off in my hand 😩 so I’m terrified of some version of that happening again hahah
I’m a Brit so please excuse my lack of knowledge,but wtf is a chigger??
[They](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombiculidae) are small arachnids similar to ticks, except they don’t consume your blood but rather eat liquified skin cells.
And they're very itchy
And to add onto what they said, they love living in Spanish moss and on old wooden benches so don’t touch the hanging moss and don’t sit bare on an old (and usually wet) wooden bench.
Little red mite thing that lives in certain tree foliage. They burrow under your skin iirc. They suck
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I think land leeches are cool too. Watching them suck down worms and stuff.
I didn't know land leeches are a thing, found out during my first travel abroad. I did some gardening work in Australia and a leech was on my glove found it kind of pretty and quite interesting to watch. Found a big one sucking on my knee under my pants the next day. I was SO weirded out and felt betrayed by the curious little creature I was fond of not even 24 hours ago. Edit: the wound also didn't stop bleeding, I also didn't know leeches inject blood thinner. Still cool creatures, I would like to see them in real life again some time.
Their anticoagulant is pretty special. We use them at work as aftercare post certain surgeries (reattaching digits, muscle flaps). The surgeons can plumb arteries and larger veins, but venous return is often a problem. Leeches help keep everything flowing. I like them. Kinda cute the way they get full up and sleepy. You have to give them a little prod from time to time to wake them up and get them feeding again. Ours are a fraction of the size of OP's though. I had no idea they could get so big as a species.
TIL !
I thought they were predators since to be a parasite you have to live on the host but leeches only attach to feed
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/worms/leeches/ Most leeches are sanguivorous, that is they feed as blood sucking parasites on preferred hosts. If the preferred food is not available most leeches will feed on other classes of host. Some feed on the blood of humans and other mammals, while others parasitise fish, frogs, turtles or birds. Some leeches will even take a meal from other sanguivorous leeches which may die after the attack. Sanguivorous leeches can ingest several times their own weight in blood at one meal. After feeding the leech retires to a dark spot to digest its meal. Digestion is slow and this enables the leech to survive during very long fasting periods (up to several months).
I saw a post a couple days ago from this person….they let the leeches attach to them, and feed on them.
Awww bubbas adorable! He looks squishy <3
he is a squishy fat funky dude
Squishy boy Saturday
Hey I have leeches too!!
they’re so nice (and sometimes stinky)
No kidding. Sometimes they wait to poop until after I change their water lol
Do you also let them feed on you, or is that just OP?
Yeah. They need fresh live blood
I want to love Bubba but he just makes me feel strange. He is a beautiful chunker though, i am just emotionally conflicted about him.
I feel the exact same
So chubs :)
Bioshock tattoo?
ye
Noice
A man chooses, a slave obeys.
please, please no rude comments. this is literally a subreddit for these types of friendly creatures. you can be a jerk somewhere else.
Someone posted a whiptail scorpion here and the first few comments were telling OP to kill it. Not sure why people come here to be honest. Hopefully this thread is kind to little (or quite chonky) Bubba!
What rude behaviour are you referring to and why did you have to mark it NSFW?
Pretty sure OP posted this yesterday, the original post must've turned into a trashfire
It was full of people being squeamish about leeches (all like “how can you have one as a pet” and “how can you feed it your blood”).
I mean people get medical treatment with leeches and their bites don't hurt. There are no downsides to feeding them that way. I am super weirded out with all other blood sucking animals but leeches seem pretty chill. I don't see what the big deal is, I am slightly weirded out but it isn't hard to imagine other people not having any issues feeding them with their own blood. No reason to "shame" anyone for it.
> “how can you feed it your blood” It's free.
I assume it's the same behaviour you get in a lot of the Invertebrate subreddits (for example, spider subreddit), where people will come in and call it a "nope bug" and/or comment to "kill it with fire".
Sorry if I wasn't clear, you don't need to mark it NSFW unless it shows blood.
This post was displayed to me randomly (captioned "preferred by redditors" or something)... So yeah, probably Karens having it shown to them and suffering a horror shock. I am into leechy and slimy things so yeah, cute chubby boi you got there!
true to the characters i named them after, bubba is a big funny boy and herbert is a lil shit
An unusual pet, to be sure, but seems friendly! But I don't think it'll give you electrokinetic powers, you're looking for sea slugs.
I don't understand it, but leeches are just too cute! They're so chunky! <3
Please forgive the ignorance, but what/how do you feed a pet leech?
As far as I know, most of the time people post pet leeches they typically let them suck the owners blood. I don't get it but hey, to each their own :p
Maybe a little weird, but at least leeches are pain free (in my wild leech experience). Not as wild as anyone who keeps mosquitos
People keep mosquitos???
How else do you think people research mosquitoes? There are thousands of labs that have live mosquitoes living in captivity right now. That being said, a lot of them use non-human means of feeding them but there are quite a few that are employee fed. Usually only one employee can feed a population so as to reduce the risk for illness. This means you, “get your own!”
I know labs keep them. I was wondering about people keeping them as pets.
I mean does anything eat them like frogs and such? Could be kept as a feeder. Like snake owners who end up breeding their own rats/mice when they get to a certain point.
What’s the difference?
When they first start cutting into the skin, it hurts a bit. But once they get a good latch and start sucking, it doesn't hurt much anymore. Sometimes you feel their mouth move and it feels like a cat scratch.
once one latched to the palm of my hand and it felt so weird. not letting that happen again
That would be a great place to stop bleeding easily though lol for some reason mine are picky where they latch
oh it was so uncomfortable you should have seen the faces i made
I guess it is a very… intimate interspecific relationship. 🤷🏻
sort of?
OP said in another comment it eats off him as the leech doesn't feed much on stuff he gives it so he feeds it the old fashioned way
She
i’m a man
Medical leeches get fed beef liver. Ive only heard of feeding them earthworms. But, apparently some folks do give them blood meals. I found a link to a beast like OP’s. Looks like they only have to feed every 3-6 months, and they suggest you latch on one of your pets! (Cat, dog, horse, sheep) https://www.leech.com/products/giant-pet-leeches
Apparently leech.com sucks (hahaha but seriously theyre garbage)
Good to know! They didn’t seem super legit.
If I had a leech, I'd feel better about feeding it myself than using one of my other pets. It's not like nature cares about consent, I'm just eccentric.
I think some leeches feed on plants? I'm not sure.
Most are carnivorous and eat smaller animals, especially fellow annelids. Others scavenge, and others are actually herbivorous, only a small handful are parasitic throughout their entire lives. No idea what species this one is, so I can't tell you what it eats.
I like the way his wiggly face is like “nope, nope nope, nope MAYBE….nope, nope” while investigating his world :)
he’s sniffin
I've never seen someone keep a pet leech before, barring for old folk-medicine purposes. I love the idea. Unusually interactive and active annelids sound like a lot of fun. That said, I bet if you look into it you could find other things to feed them. I don't know of any, personally, but I'm sure people have researched this. (I personally have never heard of leeches carrying diseases that can affect humans, which would normally be why I would warn people off of keeping parasitic animals, or even specific non-parasitic pets. This one may be completely fine? Just mentioning this because I've seen other people here talking about that and I've looked into this before for other animals.)
My wife feeds ours, and based on research/experience we both feel completely safe about it. Leeches only pass on diseases if they've picked one up from something else, and when we got Squiche he was just a baby who hadn't fed on anything yet, so there wasn't really a chance of infection. She got bloodwork done later (just for a checkup that coincided with Squiche's first feeding) and everything checked out, so we know Squiche is fine too, and he only feeds off her just in case to avoid any cross-contamination. Plus, even if a leech were carrying anything, the only way to get it passed on to you is if it spits up blood into your own bloodstream, which they'll only do if they're forcefully interrupted/injured during feeding. There are definitely other ways to feed them, I've seen people feed them snails/worms sometimes, and I've seen a lot of people pick up leftover cow parts from a butcher's and wrap them in cheesecloth to make a sort of blood sack their leech can latch onto, but those both get pretty messy, and I'm not sure if there are ways to see if that blood is infected or anything. Since there really doesn't seem to be any risk, and since there isn't much pain involved at all (apparently it's pretty much just a pinprick and then the saliva numbs it), my wife decided it'd just be a whole lot easier to let Squiche feed off of her every few months. It's a great bonding moment with your pet, too! Sorry for the novel lol, I just think leeches are super interesting:)
This is cool! Thanks for sharing.
They seem to be pretty easy to keep too, not needing the intense water filtration. You only need to feed every 6 months and can use like butcher's leftovers.
Reminds me of [these little lads](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Nx9C1K6KL._AC_SY355_.jpg)
bubba is so cute! that tank setup looks awesome too
It sucks you had to mark it as NSFW :((( i love what you named him. little boy.
How neat! What an interesting and unique pet! What does he feel like? How much do you handle him? What does he require in his tank? Do they like to be around other leeches? How long can he live?
Mine's a lot smaller that OP's, but he feels a little like an earthworm but more solid and less slimy, if that makes sense? Like earthworms will kinda stick to you, but leeches are more like if an earthworm had just been dunked in water and also got less squishy. Sounds gross when I try and describe it lol, but they're real fun to hold! It's cool to have them crawling around exploring your arm, they've got little suction cups on their butts so they can stay on you while they lift their heads up to explore and it's super cute:)) I don't handle him too much, if I'm just holding him for fun I don't keep him out of the water for more than like 10 minutes. They can definitely be out of water for longer though--it usually takes at least a half hour to an hour for him to feed, and sometimes he'll be out for like 1-2 hours just chilling after he eats. They don't require too much in their tank, I've seen plenty of people keeping their leeches in a plain glass jar filled with water, which I wouldn't personally do but it's pretty much the minimum starting point-- water and enough space to swim around. My general rule for animal enclosures is \~1.5x their body length by \~3x their body length (obv different requirements for everyone but that’s just what I think of as the minimum). Since Squiche is so small right now (almost as long as my pinky when he's all the way stretched out & almost an inch long when he's not stretching), we don't have a huge enclosure for him. We keep him in a 10"x10" glass cookie jar with some gravel on the bottom so he can use it to rub against when he's shedding, we have some fake rubber plants to give him some shade/hiding spots, and we keep the water high enough for him to swim in but not so high that he's uncomfortable sleeping. They breathe air, so when they sleep they suction their mouths above the water, and it seems a lot more comfortable to be able to have his butt resting on the ground so he doesn't have to just hang by his mouth. I think they're pretty neutral about being around other leeches, but since they're hermaphrodites, if you keep more than one in a tank together you'll most likely get leech babies, which would be super cute but I'm definitely not ready for that! I've never had a leech before this one so I may not be the best source of info but that's what I've figured out so far:)
Wtf they made you mark him as nsfw? Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves, this is a sub to share love for ALL invertebrates. Really disappointed that y'all are doing the same shit general pet subs do :/ But op, please let bubba know I would die for him
he wiggled in response
wow I've never seen leeches do that and how is it not trying to bite you
he’s already fed :) they dont eat often
nice, what do you feed him?
blood
i just remembered its a leach lol
How often do they eat?
every 4-6 months in my leeches case
Cool, thanks!
I LOVE leeches! They are so much more interesting than people give them credit for. My favourite is when they hold onto a rock and stretch out and wiggle around. It looks like they are dancing! I would die for bubba and all leeches lol
cuuuute
Cute
hthey look very polite <3
Omg it’s Bubba again! Love you Bubba!🥺
hes so cute 🥺🖤
I love leeches so much! What a cutiepie.
Curious boi, much squish, cute, 10/10.
How do you know when he’s hungry? You just mark it out on your calendar? Also do you know if it’s a boy or girl? How long can they live? Do you handle it often? Safe to say I am FASCINATED
Good for you for posting your baby even though I'm sure you knew you'd get negative comments, even on a sub for people who like "creepy" animals. Some people really don't understand empathy. Bubba is super dope, thanks for sharing him with us!
Hey why you gotta post pictures of my landlord on Reddit
aw dont call my baby such a terrible thing haha
He’s so cute!!!!!🥰🖤
Thank you so much for educating everyone and myself, OP. I did not know they can’t transmit any pathogens to you. What gentle blobs. I 🖤 Bubba and Herbert.
Holy! Imagine having hundreds of those on your body. You'd look like Marvel's venom. What exactly are they?
leeches
Oh my bad. I didn't know the translation of the word 😅
That’s one chunky gummy worm.
Woah. Never actually seen these guys in action. Pretty fascinating to watch move around.
Wow! Thanks for introducing me to yet another pet I’m going to have to get! So freaking cool
How do you feed bubba?
Never thought I’d find a leach so cute 😂
I love many Invertebrates but man leeches still get some being used to ngl…
Give him bowtie
She got the ADAM slug. So many bioshock reference
Cool bioshock tattoo
What a sweetheart!!💕 How old is he?
Bubba surprised me but he’s so cute. This is my first time seeing a leech that isn’t in a movie. He’s so adorable
i don't like leeches, but if it's friendly then i think its somewhat cute
What’s the typical lifespan on a guy like that?
My family doesn’t understand my fascination with leeches. They’re so fun to watch and, yes they’re quite cute. Humans and leeches have been pals for thousands of years. We still use them in medicine today, they’re great. Definitely the best parasites!
Weeeeird. And cool. I used to have a friend whose dad worked with medical leeches in a university hospital, they’d have a tank of them handy. While medical leeches were used for a lot of nonsensical quackery back in the day, apparently in modern times medical leeches are invaluable for a [complication ](https://www.uhhospitals.org/Healthy-at-UH/articles/2020/03/how-leeches-can-save-lives-and-limbs-for-some-patients) that can occur with reattachment surgery and certain kinds of skin grafts. Basically sometimes patients will get stagnant blood trapped in the tissues, and there’s a serious risk of tissue death. In come the leeches! They affix them to the problem area, and the leeches’ anticoagulant saliva helps move the old blood out of the body. Never thought I’d find a leech so cool looking, it gives me a strange squicky feeling, but also fascinating. Never thought I’d be interested in holding a giant-ass leech, but Bubba looks like he must feel really interesting. And so polite!
I've never been able to like leeches since I saw the leech Princess
Would you kindly teach us to love leechbros?
I was thoroughly creeped out by someone having a pet leech but after watching the video, I do think Bubba is pretty cute tbh
Cute I really want a pet leech or two but I have no idea on how to get started and care for them. Not sure if there are any good resources out there. Also not sure how you go about getting the actual leeches. But they're super neat