''Limnatis nilotica'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of leech in the family

Hirudinidae Hirudinidae is a family of leeches Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and lik ...

. It is

hematophagous Hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) is the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood (from the Greek words αἷμα ' "blood" and φαγεῖν ' "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious p ...

(feeding on blood), living on the mucous membranes of mammals.

Description

''Limnatis nilotica'' grows to a length of about . It has powerful jaws and a sucker at both the anterior and the posterior end. The general colour is dark green and there are green spots in rows on the dorsal surface and bands of yellowish-orange and green on the sides.

Distribution and habitat

''Limnatis nilotica'' is native to Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It inhabits stagnant ponds and shallow lakes.

Biology

''Limnatis nilotica'' is unable to pierce skin with its jaws which are relatively small, soft and rounded; there are about thirty flat teeth with rough surfaces on the jaws, and small papillae which probably secrete saliva. Instead it enters its mammalian

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

through an orifice and sucks blood from mucous membranes inside the host, often the

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its st ...

. The ingested blood is granular in nature, perhaps because the leech has scraped the tissues as it fed. The volume of blood consumed at any one time is much smaller than is typical for the

European medicinal leech ''Hirudo medicinalis'', the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as "medicinal leeches". Other species of ''Hirudo'' sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include '' H. orientalis'', ''H. troctina'', and '' H. ...

, but ''L. nilotica'' may stay in place for several weeks, feeding at intervals. ''Limnatis nilotica'' is periodically reported as affecting humans and livestock, entering the host through the mouth, nose, and occasionally through the eye socket, the

urethra The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra c ...

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

. In Iran, a pregnant cow showed respiratory distress and anaemia and was found to have a leech attached to the inside of the cheek and tongue; the cow was said to have drunk from a local pond. In another instance, a camel in Iraq had leeches inside its nasal cavity. There have been other reports from Iraq of affected cattle, sheep, donkeys and dogs. Two young dogs in Iran with symptoms including anorexia, anaemia, hyper-salivation, retching, and bleeding from the mouth, were found to have leeches under their tongues. If left untreated animals may die, but these dogs recovered after the leeches were removed.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4231251 Leeches Animals described in 1922