Range

European medicinal leeches are found across Europe and Asia. Here they can be found in Austria; Belarus; Croatia; Czechia; France; Germany; Hungary; Latvia; Lithuania; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Russia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Ukraine and the United Kingdom .

Habitat

Unlike the majority of other blood sucking leeches capable of penetrating human skin which live in tropical environment the European medicinal leech can be found in temperate waters.

These animals are semi-aquatic and can move between land and water. They can only survive in fresh water.

Reproduction

Breeding for the European medicinal leech takes place from June through to August. Despite this they are fertile year round.

Mating will take place on the land. Like other leeches they are all hermaphroditic.

A cocoon will be formed around a thickening of the body ring which is known as the clitellum. This egg sac is then deposited in to damp soil. It may contain up to 50 eggs.

The eggs hatch from this sac after 14 days. At birth they look like a small version of the adult.

Young European medicinal leeches typically feed on amphibians as their jaw is not strong enough to break through the skin of mammals.

Behavior

In water they move by contracting the body muscles. On land they will move by alternating between the anterior and posterior suckers.

They will rest under objects on the shoreline.

Predators and Threats

Populations of the European medicinal leech suffered heavy declines from over-exploitation during the 19th century. Populations are still yet to recover from this.

Leeches previously benefited from farming which would bring horses (a favored food source) to areas in large numbers along with the creation of water supplies for livestock. The transition to modern machinery and as such the reduction in horse use has removed this benefit.

Other losses come from habitat destruction and alteration.

Quick facts

The European medicinal leech is one of the 700 species of leech and is among the many which have been used in medicinal treatments.

European Medicinal leeches also produce a range of anticoagulants which have medical benefits.

Leech therapy is still used to this day. A Medicinal leech may be used to help stimulate circulation following a therapy.