Leeches

[Peter_Parker]

I've been hearing around the boards in various places that some of you have been keeping leeches. I'm interested in keeping a few, but would like a few tips on them, like housing requirements, sexing, and especially what to feed them? I guess I just have to dunk my arm in the tank for an hour, right? Lol

 

[Curry]

This might help. http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/SS/leechlove.html

 

[swatc1h]

you know that feeling of a bug you hate in mind...............yuck

 

[Scolopendra55]

If you're comfortable with it you can let them suck your own blood (given that they are not wild collected and are disease free).

 

[beetleman]

leeches have to be kept in very clean water,very cold also,you can get leehes from carolina biological supply and land O lakes bait,i have a medicinal leech(have it now for 2years)it feeds on frogs(we have in the petshop,i take the ones that died,and it feeds on the dead ones,i don't give it live,they can go along time without blood(food)but when they do feed they gorge themselves up pretty big,there are also horse leeches and ribbon leeches they feed on worms(bloodworms,earthworms) hope this helps

 

[Peter_Parker]

leeches have to be kept in very clean water,very cold also,you can get leehes from carolina biological supply and land O lakes bait,i have a medicinal leech(have it now for 2years)it feeds on frogs(we have in the petshop,i take the ones that died,and it feeds on the dead ones,i don't give it live,they can go along time without blood(food)but when they do feed they gorge themselves up pretty big,there are also horse leeches and ribbon leeches they feed on worms(bloodworms,earthworms) hope this helps

Wow, I've always wanted to get a medicinal leech, but whenever I try you have to be part of a "medical facility" or something to get one. where did you get yours?

 

[Peter_Parker]

If you're comfortable with it you can let them suck your own blood (given that they are not wild collected and are disease free).

Lol, Knowing me I would try that, just to see what it felt like! If it was a lab bred medicinal leech of course. I saw a pbs special on blood sucking animals and the guy let the leech bite him, but due to the anesthetic properties of the saliva he didn't feel a thing. of course, the little wound was pouring blood for a while afterwards, but it's not like i've never bled before

 

[Scythemantis]

First of all, bloodsucking leeches CANNOT transmit any kind of disease to a human. Second, bloodsucking leeches are a minority. Most leeches, especially the large ones, are predators that feed upon snails, aquatic insects, or fish and frog eggs.

I would love to have any kind of large leech as well. I didn't know they could live more than a year.

 

[Gigas]

apparently using them everynow and againis good for you, lowers blood pressure and the release an anticoagulant into the blood stream, u bleed for a while after the come off

 

[beetleman]

Wow, I've always wanted to get a medicinal leech, but whenever I try you have to be part of a "medical facility" or something to get one. where did you get yours?

i got mine from carolina biological suppy co. hope this helps

 

[beetleman]

Wow, I've always wanted to get a medicinal leech, but whenever I try you have to be part of a "medical facility" or something to get one. where did you get yours?

yeah, i had to pay them with a company credit card,the store i work at,because they will only sell them to petstores,schools and places like that,that's the crappy part in trying to obtain one

 

[Peter_Parker]

yeah, i had to pay them with a company credit card,the store i work at,because they will only sell them to petstores,schools and places like that,that's the crappy part in trying to obtain one

Hmm, I guess I could try and get my father to do it. He owns his own business, but the problem would be convincing him in the first place . I'm gonna try it, because I checked out Carolina's website and theirs are relatively inexpensive compared to some I've seen. I guess because they're are a threatened or endangered species they don't want any random person to have one, right?

 

[beetleman]

Hmm, I guess I could try and get my father to do it. He owns his own business, but the problem would be convincing him in the first place . I'm gonna try it, because I checked out Carolina's website and theirs are relatively inexpensive compared to some I've seen. I guess because they're are a threatened or endangered species they don't want any random person to have one, right?

pretty much so i guess they don't everybody messing with these guys,letting them suck everybodies blood but tell them that you are using them for a display for educational purposes only,that should help

 

[DavidRS]

Has anyone tried this place:

http://www.leechesusa.com

 

[Peter_Parker]

Has anyone tried this place:

http://www.leechesusa.com

They seem alright, but since they are obviously geared more toward selling leeches to medical facilities they may be even more difficult to get than from Carolina.

 

[Peter_Parker]

Carolina Biological

i got mine from carolina biological suppy co. hope this helps

I wonder, do you (or anyone else on here) still order from carolina?

 

[aggie08]

Yikes. I wouldn't be too keen on feeding them from my arm.

 

[PA7R1CK]

Not to sound close minded but I doubt I would ever consiter owning a leech as a pet. Seems discusting to me.

 

[Peter_Parker]

Not to sound close minded but I doubt I would ever consiter owning a leech as a pet. Seems discusting to me.

Lol, a lot of people would consider keeping spiders and scorpions and centipedes disgusting

 

[beetleman]

Not to sound close minded but I doubt I would ever consiter owning a leech as a pet. Seems discusting to me.

let's see....we keep cockroaches,millipedes,spiders,centipedes,etc,so why not leeches? :drool: :}