Leech is a class of annelids that includes oligochaetes, polychaetes, misostomids, and leeches. The most famous representative of all is the earthworm. Of the existing 500 species of leeches, only 62 are found in Russia. However, only a special class of leeches is used for medicinal purposes, the reproduction of which is carried out on specialized farms. It's about medical care. The article offers detailed information about these animals.
General information
The Russian name for leeches comes from the word "to dig into". They actually have the ability to attach themselves to a victim and suck blood from it. In Latin, leeches are called Hirudinea. They can live as external ectoparasites - they stick to the victim's body. They are also capable of attacking smaller animals.
Most species of leeches are similar in appearance and differ only in their color - black, greenish or brownish. Their body is dense, it seems oblong from above, it can reach 15 cm in length.
The upper side is slightly convex, while the ventral side is completely flat. Suction cups are located along the poles of the body, with which leeches are attached to plants, soil or to the body of the victim.
When they are stationary, it is difficult to see them because they are well camouflaged. While driving, they are clearly visible. They move along the substrate, find the victim, sticking to it in turn with one or the other end. In this case, the rear end is pulled up to the front, and the body bends into a loop.
When swimming in the water, they bend in waves. Leeches can also make swinging movements, clinging to the ground with one end. They need this because they absorb oxygen dissolved in water. For his assimilation of movements, there must be a lot.
When a leech swings, the water layer around it changes to a new one containing fresh oxygen. Each species of leeches occupies only one zoogeographic region.
To live, these creatures need fresh water, only some of them can live in the Caspian and Azov Seas. Leeches do not like the cold and hibernate at the first frost. They are awake all year round only when breeding their home. A sleeping leech waits out the winter, curled up in a ball.
Building
A medicinal leech has a body made up of 102 rings. She is incapable of regeneration. From the side of the back, she has many small papillae and holes. On the ventral side, there are much fewer of them, only about 38, including two genital ones.
They do not have kidneys, the circulatory system is connected with the intracavitary fluid, where blood and blood are purified, andexchange products. The body of a leech is covered on the outside with the thinnest skin. It is made up of one layer of signet cells that form the epidermis. Around it there is a transparent cuticle that performs a protective function. She is constantly growing. Shedding occurs every 2-3 days, resulting in a renewal of the cuticle. The discarded films look like white cases. They clog the containers where leeches live in the home, so they should be removed regularly.
The skin contains nerve cells, small capillaries and a large number of mucous glands that secrete a gel mass. It covers the cuticles of leeches so they are always wet and slippery.
Also, the leech breathes through the skin, since it does not have gills. On her body there is a specific pattern - longitudinal yellow-orange stripes located closer to the sides. There are also black spots. By this coloring, medicinal leeches can be distinguished from others.
The mouth is at the head end and is surrounded by a suction cup. There is a second suction cup in the back. Leeches, on average, live for about 6 years. The duration of the existence of wild individuals is not known to scientists for certain, it is possible that among them there are long-livers.
Leech has 10 eyes. There is no lens in them, but there are 50 photoreceptors in each. The eyes have the appearance of spherical chambers. They do not give a complete picture.
But the leech perfectly captures all smells, although it has no sense of smell and touch. Irritants are captured by sensitive skin cells. There are especially many of them at the head end. It helpsnot only do they find prey, but also swim out of the foul-smelling water they can't stand.
With high accuracy, leeches recognize the smells of people and large mammals, that is, potential victims. Of course, the smell of blood is most attractive to them, to which they react instantly. Leeches immediately take a trapping stance, reminiscent of that of dogs: they become vertically in line, begin to swing vigorously and make movements with their front end.
Leech in nature is starving most of the time. They are accustomed to this regimen and may not eat for up to six months. The maximum duration of a fast has been researched and proven. It is 1.5 years.
Their stomach and intestines have fresh blood reserves. Therefore, leeches do not need a daily intake of food, digesting the received portion within 2-3 weeks.
In nature, warm-blooded animals wander into water bodies. Observations show that many animals often do this on purpose, allowing leeches to stick around themselves. After such a session of hirudotherapy, their condition improves. This is what a person drew attention to at the time.
Leech can be eaten by small mammals of water bodies: otter, water shrew, muskrat, very rarely birds. The main consumers of these creatures are snails and water scorpions.
Reproduction of leeches
Leeches are hermaphrodites. Despite this, two individuals must participate in the creation of offspring. The reproduction of leeches is somewhat different than that of many other hermaphrodites, that is, they themselvesthey do not fertilize, but create pairs. At the same time, different types of fallowing methods differ.
For reproduction, leeches use the external-internal method, studied by Academician M. S. Gilyarov. The seed, before being thrown out, enters a special male genital organ - the atrium. This is where the spermatophore is formed. During copulation, the spermatophore emerges from the atrium and attaches to the partner's abdomen near her genital opening.
Further, the wall of the abdomen in this place collapses, and the spermatozoa penetrate the female.
Thus, 2 mature individuals are needed for the reproduction of leeches. They become such by the age of 3, when a sufficient number of germ cells - eggs and spermatozoa - accumulate in their bodies.
The leech breeds once a year, and the offspring brings 3-4 times in its entire life. Ethologists have proven the fact that these animals can not only create pairs, but also take care of their offspring.
This is evidenced by the fact that the place for attaching the cocoon is carefully selected and equipped. Some types of leeches attach hatched cubs or cocoons with zygotes to the lower part of their body from the ventral side and wear them on themselves until the juveniles are fully grown.
The breeding process of medical leeches is interesting. They do not use the external-internal method. Sperm gets to the female only as a result of copulation. They have a well-developed copulatory organ. Functionally, it is similar to a human. Incredibly, the worms practice different positions of copulation. One of the moments of reproduction of leeches onphoto below.
In these animals, scientists identify two main ways of copulation: the front ends can be directed in one or in opposite directions. In the first case, one individual from a pair takes on the role of a male, and the other - a female. In the second posture, the individuals mutually fertilize each other.
Reproduction of leeches and earthworms, which are also hermaphrodites, is similar: they need a pair.
Leech business
Man has been using these animals for a very long time. Some are interested in breeding leeches, although such a hobby seems aesthetically unpleasant. However, such a business has an advantage - the absence of competitors. Now in Russia there are only 4 farms officially engaged in this business.
There are strict requirements for breeding. Home conditions do not mean the boundaries of one apartment or country house. To breed leeches, you will have to equip an entire farm. There must be a room with a number of rooms, each of which will contain leeches at different stages of their life cycle - a cocoon, babies, adults. One of the main conditions for breeding leeches is to maintain a favorable microclimate for them: the air temperature should be from 25 to 27 ºС, and the humidity should not be less than 80%.
The containers for them can be ordinary 3-liter jars filled with purified water. Aquariums will cost more. It is allowed to keep no more than 30 individuals in one bank. Water must be settled. You need to fill the jar with it by 2/3 of the volume.
The main thing when breedingleeches at home - clean water. To ensure this, household filters are needed. Periodically, a little sand is added to the jars. It helps the leeches clear out the mucus that needs to be cleaned up regularly. Water change is carried out every 2-4 days. To prevent the leeches from spreading, the neck of the jar is tightly closed with a cotton cloth and pulled with an elastic band. Direct light for these creatures is undesirable, but the room should be bright.
Breeding leeches is to constantly monitor their development and timely transfer of young animals to the appropriate groups. All work on the farm is done by hand only.
Feeding
At home, it is made with certified bovine blood taken from he althy animals. Delivery must be arranged in advance. To feed a leech, you do not need to pour blood into jars. The vessel must be separate. Blood is poured onto its bottom and covered with a film on top.
Then leeches are launched there. They successfully bite through the film and feed. A sign of saturation is the appearance of foam. Satiated leeches should be washed and redistributed to their jars.
Such feeding is carried out no more than once a month and a half. An individual for sale must fast for at least 3 months. Then it will be suitable.
Farm breeding
Reproduction of leeches at home is not very difficult. For mating, they are seated in pairs and left alone for about a month. That is how long their mating season lasts.
Leech must be full, thenmating is better. A month later, they are transplanted into a mother terrarium to lay a cocoon with eggs.
Peat with moss turf is poured on the bottom. This is necessary for leeches to dig passages in the soil and place a cocoon. Cubs appear after 40 days (in sunny weather). They are usually very hungry. Young growth should grow separately from adults. Babies also feed on blood.
Reproduction of leeches at home can be obtained by anyone who will comply with the conditions described above. It is better to start a business with 500-600 individuals. Otherwise, it will not be profitable. You can get 7-8 million leeches per year.
Shipping
This process also requires certain conditions to be met. It is necessary to transport leeches in a glass container, two-thirds filled with settled water. Temperature and humidity regulations must be observed.
If the distance to the customer is not more than 100 km, it can be transported in plastic containers with a perforated lid. Each 3-liter container can hold 200 leeches.
If the distance is more than 100 km, then use fabric bags made of coarse calico. Their size is 30x20 cm. It can accommodate up to 300 leeches. The microclimate is the same.
Cultivation of leeches at home is also a production, so you need to take it very seriously. When arranging such a farm, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of fire safety, ecology, waste disposal, and so on.
Where to buy
Leech for breeding can be simplycatch in the nearest body of water. But the consequences of using such animals are unpredictable. Therefore, you need to buy leeches only at certified bio-farms or pharmacies.
Where to sell
There can be several points:
- Hirudotherapy medical centers.
- Pharmacy.
- Private Hirudotherapists.
- Wishing to start a business.
- Selling overseas.
In Russia, 1 leech costs 30-40 rubles. In Europe, its price is about ten times more expensive.
Healing properties
With a more detailed study of leeches, an unambiguous opinion arises about their uniqueness. They can be called a small masterpiece of nature. They have amazing healing properties.
This explains their popularity. The range of pathologies for hirudotherapy is very wide. Leeches are used in the complex treatment of cardiac pathologies, eye diseases, in surgery and microsurgery, dermatology, cosmetology, gynecology, and endocrinology. They help with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hypertension, hemorrhoids, atherosclerosis.
The leech turned out to be a whole living factory of biologically active substances, which, when released into the human blood, have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, relieve swelling, thin the blood, improve its microcirculation, and also activate the immune system.
Leech behavior on the patient's skin
During the session, a leech is placed on the intended place. However, she does not pounce on the victim immediately, but first looks for a suitable point on the body.patient.
A leech can suck blood for up to an hour, but the session lasts no more than 20 minutes. When this time ends, it is removed with a swab moistened with alcohol or iodine, and immersed in chloramine for destruction. Reusing the same copy is prohibited. It is not so much the leech that is useful, but its saliva. It is secreted continuously in the process of sucking. Saliva contains the most valuable biologically active substances that have a therapeutic effect.
