One of many rarest invertebrates in Scotland, the Medicinal Leech (Hirudo medicinalis), has been confirmed in Dumfries and Galloway for the primary time, after a current sighting was verified by Buglife this September.
The sighting got here from native naturalist, Bob Merritt, and follows unverified information from 2005 and 2008. Buglife confirmed the presence of the Medicinal Leech in three ponds close to Carrick Shore on the Solway coast, as a part of the Scotland-wide conservation programme, Species on the Edge.
Medicinal Leeches can develop as much as 20cm lengthy making them one of many UK’s largest native leeches. They are often present in a wide range of freshwater habitats, together with ponds, lochs, ditches, wetlands, and streams. In Scotland, Medicinal Leeches have a darkish brown or black higher facet with yellow-grey stripes and a speckled underside. They feed on blood from cattle, deer, amphibians, fish, and birds, and solely feed each 3 to 12 months. They’ll reside as much as 20 years.
As soon as widespread, the Medicinal Leech is now recognized in solely three areas in Scotland – mainland Argyll, Islay, and now Dumfries and Galloway – having suffered extreme declines primarily resulting from historic overharvesting to be used in medication. Within the late 18th to early nineteenth century, hundreds of thousands of those leeches had been utilized in hospitals throughout Europe for bloodletting remedy. Whereas medical exploitation of the leech is now unlawful within the UK, habitat loss and freshwater air pollution have badly affected Medicinal Leech populations in Scotland.
Buglife Conservation Director, Craig Macadam, stated “Medicinal Leeches have an necessary place in our medical historical past however are actually one of many rarest invertebrates in Scotland. The invention of three new websites for this species in Dumfries and Galloway is extremely necessary and provides us hope that additional websites are found for this unbelievable species sooner or later.”
As a part of the Species on the Edge programme, Buglife is working with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to ship Scotland’s first ever Medicinal Leech captive breeding programme. In an effort to save lots of the uncommon leech from extinction in Scotland, 14 leeches have been collected from one among their recognized websites and transferred to their new dwelling – a specifically designed facility at RZSS’s Highland Wildlife Park. There the conservation crew employees will take care of them and try and breed as many leeches as doable to then be launched again into the wild.
Fiona Strachan, Species on the Edge Programme Supervisor with NatureScot stated “These information from one of many Species on the Edge undertaking areas are actually thrilling and, alongside the captive breeding programme, bode nicely for a extra promising future for the Medicinal Leech.”
Should you see a big leech in Scotland, please take a photograph and ship your sighting to Buglife at scotland@buglife.org.uk. Please word they’re uncommon and guarded, so if discovered connected to waders or wetsuits please gently brush them off and return them to the water.
