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