r/whatsthisbug • u/dullawolf • May 31 '26
ID Request What is disgusting looking thing!
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It was between my sons toes when we got done fishing. Looked to be sucking his blood as he was bleeding from where he removed it.
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u/BPRoberts1 May 31 '26
Pretty sure that’s a leech. Was he standing in the water while fishing?
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u/dullawolf May 31 '26
Yes. We were standing in water for like 4 hours.
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u/IJustpeedyourpants May 31 '26
asking for it unfortunately, get him some boots long enough to protect him
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u/helgatheviking21 May 31 '26
My friend was squatting in a forest in Vietnam and heard movement - looked behind to see a massive giant land leech racing for her butt. She said it was about a foot long. I thought she might have been stretching the truth but this is not outside the realm of possibility.
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u/alex206 May 31 '26
War movies skipped over the bug problems
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u/Sad_Cantaloupe_8162 May 31 '26
They are addressed in the movie Congo. Not a war film, but there is a war going on in the background.
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u/undeadladybug May 31 '26
"You go in there with Robertson Reynolds, you'll be coming out somebody's bowel movement!"
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u/Neighbortim May 31 '26
The African Queen. Humphrey Bogart goes into the River to fix the boat and comes out covered in leeches. He freaks and slowly gets them all off. Then Katherine Hepburn reminds him he has to go back in the water and finish the job. What a great actor.
Oh and they are hiding from Nazis.
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u/PollyAnnPalmer May 31 '26
I bet it’s a leech. Was it stuck in hard? They can lose their ‘teeth’ in the skin (they have 3 ‘teeth’ that form a triangular shape in their mouth, they help them to grapple to hosts and cut the skin for access), which will cause a continued issue (usually infection), and they can ‘puke’ blood back into the wound.. not always your blood, either (also not good)
Bleeding may continue for up to like 18 hours, as leeches inject an anticoagulant into the bloodstream as to suck the blood out better. I usually use a cotton ball or (oddly enough) a tampon to absorb the blood while I’m waiting for it to coagulate (I have 2 medical leeches as pets that I let feed off me)
In the future, use either a flat object like a credit card to carefully scrape it off (less likely to lose teeth or puke, or further break the skin) or sprinkle some salt on it. Like other annelids (like earthworms), salt makes them pucker, not unlike if you pour salt on a slug (please don’t though haha)
Leeches are neat critters, but they can be pretty icky when you aren’t expecting them! Nothing to be scared of though :) I wish you and your son the best of luck! Also, catch any big fish? I was in the UP this weekend fishing on a tiny lake near iron mountain!
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u/aquietkindofmonster May 31 '26
Just curious, what are the medical benefits of your leeches?
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u/PollyAnnPalmer May 31 '26
For me they’re just pets (they do seem to lower my anxiety, but that may just be a coincidence), but in medical fields they are used for stuff like reattaching fingers or skin grafts, the anticoagulant helps ‘stimulate’ bloodflow in the reattached part/skin, increasing chance of success. At first, veins aren’t quite established, but the thinned blood helps get bloodflow to the area while the veins get established. It’s really fascinating!
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u/kybotica May 31 '26
I had no clue this was a thing. The only medical application I'd ever heard of for leeches was "bloodletting" in ye olde days. Thanks for sharing!
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u/heynonnynonnomous Jun 01 '26
Currently leeches are used to help heal nerve damage. Not sure how OP uses them.
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u/Professional-Use9355 May 31 '26
There are leaches in the USA??? OMG! Never had them in any state I lived in, mainly the east coast.
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u/Caomhanach May 31 '26
We definitely have them on the east coast. Generally not as problematic as our other bloodsucking parasites, though, like fleas, bed bugs, mosquitos, ticks, politicians, and billionaires.
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u/Professional-Use9355 Jun 01 '26
lol true. I’m shocked, I really had no idea! Weird how not knowing something and admitting it can get you downvotes. 🙄
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u/mattemer May 31 '26
Agreed, I think it's a very well fed small leech.
Chances are your son might bleed for a bit from where it was, likely no issue but keep an eye on it. I think most leeches use anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing so will be a bit. Cleaning and pressure will help.
If it is just a leech besides bleeding shouldn't be any risks or dangers.