Our instructor warned us that there would be leeches in the forest, and I was a little bit nervous about encountering these creatures. I thought they would be scary and that their bites would hurt. When I finally saw a leech myself, I learned they were not scary at all. In fact, I thought that they were even a little bit cute. During that time, I was bitten a few times without even realizing it.
Now I get very excited when I see a leech. I love observing their detailed patterns and watching them move. I’m grateful that we can use them to survey the animals in the forest. Their blood contains important data about what creatures exist in the forest. While many people find leeches annoying, I find them to be amazing creatures with a lot to offer.
The species of leeches I study are found only in Madagascar, like much of the rest of Madagascar’s wildlife. Why do you think so many species in Madagascar typically only live on this island? Other species of leeches in the same genus are also found throughout the Indo-Pacific from Australia through Southeast Asia, and of course out to Madagascar.
Leeches latch on to anything that moves. This makes them ideal for monitoring biodiversity in Madagascar, where species are very diverse and also highly threatened. When looking for a host to latch onto, the leech anchors itself to a surface and waves its body in search of anything walking past. This motion is called “questing.” They look a little like those dancing inflatable advertisements on the side of the road while they’re questing.
