Land Leeches...Your unavoidable friends when trekking in Thailand
When you are trekking in Thailand, land leeches are always welcoming and waiting for you in the forest.
Land leeches (Haemadipsa sp.) are a type of leeches. They "suck" blood from animals to get nutrients.
A land leech is black or dark brown and about 2-6 centimeters long. It has two suckers: one in the head and one in the tail. The one in the head is used to suck blood and the one in the tail is used to stick on a leaf or a stone to support itself up looking for a prey.
Land leeches breathe through their skins, so they must live in wet areas to keep their skins wet to exchange air.
Thailand locates in the tropic. Most forests in Thailand are wet. Some forests maybe dry, for example, those on the mountains in the North and Northeast. But you can still find them near the rivers or ponds.
When trekking, if you do not want to donate your blood, use a leech repellant or wear a pair of leech-proof socks. You should also wear light color pants and shoes, so that you can easily see them before they can find their ways in.
But if one has already been inside and is sucking your blood, do not pull it out right away because it can cause your wound to open wider. Sprinkle salt or powder or drop alcohol on its skin to interrupt its breathing, it will leave for the sake of its own life.
p.s. I didn't attach any photos of land leeches to avoid goosebumps...lol...
Land leeches (Haemadipsa sp.) are a type of leeches. They "suck" blood from animals to get nutrients.
A land leech is black or dark brown and about 2-6 centimeters long. It has two suckers: one in the head and one in the tail. The one in the head is used to suck blood and the one in the tail is used to stick on a leaf or a stone to support itself up looking for a prey.
Land leeches breathe through their skins, so they must live in wet areas to keep their skins wet to exchange air.
Thailand locates in the tropic. Most forests in Thailand are wet. Some forests maybe dry, for example, those on the mountains in the North and Northeast. But you can still find them near the rivers or ponds.
When trekking, if you do not want to donate your blood, use a leech repellant or wear a pair of leech-proof socks. You should also wear light color pants and shoes, so that you can easily see them before they can find their ways in.
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| Leech Proof Socks |
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| Leech [and other insects] Repellant [ref.] |
But if one has already been inside and is sucking your blood, do not pull it out right away because it can cause your wound to open wider. Sprinkle salt or powder or drop alcohol on its skin to interrupt its breathing, it will leave for the sake of its own life.
p.s. I didn't attach any photos of land leeches to avoid goosebumps...lol...
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