{"id":13056,"date":"2021-12-12T18:32:34","date_gmt":"2021-12-12T07:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/?p=13056"},"modified":"2021-12-14T11:57:08","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T00:57:08","slug":"leeches-natures-blood-suckers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/leeches-natures-blood-suckers\/","title":{"rendered":"Leeches &#8211; Nature&#8217;s Blood Suckers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever walked on one of our amazing Blue Mountains rainforest walks, you\u2019ve probably encountered a leech. For some, this is a traumatic, horror film-esque experience featuring a slimy, mini vampire, and gushing blood. However, if you think about it from the leech\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s actually pretty smart.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leaches.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13057 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leaches.jpg\" alt=\"Leaches in the Blue Mountains\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leaches.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leaches-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leaches-660x371.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are leeches?<\/strong><br \/>\nLeeches are related to earthworms and snails, have a jawless mouth with suckers, and can vary in size from a few millimetres to over 30 centimetres. They live in shallow freshwater habitats (such as dams or ponds) but will move into forested areas to get closer to their food source (i.e., humans). They\u2019re also used for medicinal purposes as they contain hirudin \u2013 an anticoagulant that stops blood from clotting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where do they come from?<\/strong><br \/>\nLeeches are blood-sucking, worm-like creatures that live in both saltwater and freshwater environments around Australia. They can also be found in tropical and sub-tropical areas around Europe, North America, South America and Asia. The western leech has a more limited range and is only found on mainland Australia\u2019s eastern coast in small numbers. In some places leeches are considered endangered species due to pollution of their natural habitats \u2013 you may need to get a permit before collecting them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13059 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm.png\" alt=\"Leaches in the Blue Mountains\" width=\"1784\" height=\"964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm.png 1784w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm-1024x553.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm-1536x830.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-12-at-6.28.41-pm-660x357.png 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1784px) 100vw, 1784px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>How can I protect myself?<\/strong><br \/>\nWearing long-sleeved clothing is an excellent first step in protecting yourself from leeches. Be careful when wading through water, as a leech can attach itself to your legs and move up to your knee or higher. If you find a leech on your body, resist peeling it off and squishing it, as they\u2019re meant to remain attached for several days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What if I get bitten by a leech?<\/strong><br \/>\nIf you do get bitten by a leech, it will latch on and begin to suck your blood. This might not be pleasant, but it\u2019s harmless and painless. You can rub salt or alcohol on a leech bite to make it let go; otherwise, just leave it alone until it falls off (the saliva will slow clotting). If you need help removing one that has latched onto an area you can\u2019t reach, tweeze it out carefully.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13058 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy.jpg\" alt=\"Leaches in the Blue Mountains\" width=\"1284\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy.jpg 1284w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy-1024x532.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/DSC07852-copy-660x343.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>How To Treat a Leech Wound<\/strong><br \/>\nLeeches secrete hirudin to stop blood from clotting, so the wound may bleed for a few hours or even a few days. Like any wound, it\u2019s good to keep it clean and apply disinfectant. Generally, they\u2019ll leave a small red mark which will be gone in a few days.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13067 size-large alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-743x1024.png\" alt=\"Leaches in the Blue Mountains\" width=\"665\" height=\"917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-743x1024.png 743w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-218x300.png 218w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-768x1058.png 768w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-1115x1536.png 1115w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2-660x909.png 660w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-11.31.04-am-2.png 1240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do leeches spread diseases?<\/strong><br \/>\nWhile they may bleed for a while, and possibly itch, leech bites are more annoying than dangerous. They\u2019re essentially harmless, making them preferable to mosquitoes, ticks, and most other bitey creepy crawlies.<\/p>\n<p>Some leeches carry viruses, bacteria, and parasites, but don\u2019t stress, it\u2019s very rare for these to be transmitted to humans.<\/p>\n<p>However, it\u2019s worth noting that a small percentage of people have an allergic reaction to leech bites.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MORE<\/strong> info: https:\/\/weareexplorers.co\/how-to-avoid-remove-leeches<br \/>\n<strong>Even MORE<\/strong> info: <a href=\"https:\/\/australian.museum\/learn\/animals\/worms\/leeches\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/australian.museum\/learn\/animals\/worms\/leeches<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.au-range.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8909 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed.png\" alt=\"AU-Range Katoomba best gift store in Katoomba\" width=\"953\" height=\"953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed.png 953w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/unnamed-660x660.png 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 953px) 100vw, 953px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever walked on one of our amazing Blue Mountains rainforest walks, you\u2019ve probably encountered a leech. For some, this is a traumatic, horror film-esque experience featuring a slimy, mini vampire, and gushing blood. However, if you think about it from the leech\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s actually pretty smart. What are leeches? Leeches are related\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/leeches-natures-blood-suckers\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":493,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1419],"class_list":["post-13056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-askroz","tag-leeches"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Leeches - Nature&#039;s Blood Suckers - Ask Roz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.askroz.com.au\/blog\/leeches-natures-blood-suckers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Leeches - Nature&#039;s Blood Suckers - Ask Roz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019ve ever walked on one of our amazing Blue Mountains rainforest walks, you\u2019ve probably encountered a leech. For some, this is a traumatic, horror film-esque experience featuring a slimy, mini vampire, and gushing blood. However, if you think about it from the leech\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s actually pretty smart. What are leeches? 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