Leech identification

Billabong Karen · #1 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 02:14 PM

Hello all, I am a new member - and also the proud owner of a new wildlife pond! We dug it last autumn (about 5m x 3m, max depth 1.5m) and let if fill up slowly with rain and snow. This spring we have had frogspawn, tadpoles, newts, backswimmers, dragonflies, damselflies, bats hunting over the water... It has been a dream come true, and I love EVERYTHING about my pond - except for two things. One is the blanketweed (I seem to spend a lot of time raking it out) and the other are the LEECHES... They are about 2-3 inches long, reddish-brown, look like flattish earthworms and can SWIM. I am a bit worried by them to be honest and am not sure what they are or what they live off. Any ideas?

I live in Germany, by the way, so perhaps we get slightly different pondlife from the UK (for instance, I think we had alpine newts in the spring).

Matt Smith · #2 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 09:28 PM

Most leeches feed on invertebrates, so i would not be too concerned if they arrive in your pond.

Billabong Karen · #3 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 10:09 AM

Thank you. I have since found a very useful freshwater life guide, and think I have identified my leeches as Erpobdella Testacea, which indeed eats tiny invertebrates! I feel much happier about the leeches now.

Billabong Karen · #4 (**permalink**) 01-08-2011, 09:05 AM

I am learning to love the leeches (I think). They are actually quite graceful in the way they undulate through the water, and now I know they will not suck my or any other mammal's blood, I am getting quite fond of them. After all, they are a part of the full picture...