Haementeria ghilianii

Haementeria ghilianii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Rhynchobdellida
Family: Glossiphoniidae
Subfamily: Haementeriinae
Genus: Haementeria
Species: H. ghilianii
Binomial name
Haementeria ghilianii

Haementeria ghilianii, the giant Amazon leech, is one of the world's largest species of leeches.[1] It can grow to 450 mm (17.7 in) in length and 100 mm (3.9 in) in width. As adults, these leeches are a greyish-brown colour, as opposed to juveniles, which do not have a uniform colour, but rather, a noncontinuous stripe of colour, and patched colouring. They live from the Guianas to the Amazon.[2] The leech produces the anticoagulant protease hementin from its salivary glands.

Sources

  1. http://invertebrates.si.edu/Features/stories/haementeria.html
  2. http://animals.jrank.org/pages/1697/Leeches-Hirudinea-GIANT-AMAZONIAN-LEECH-Haementeria-ghilianii-SPECIES-ACCOUNTS.html


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