walkhighlands

Record your sightings of wildlife and birds on this board - even better if you managed to capture a photo.
Warning Please avoid giving out the locations of nest sites for rare birds.

Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby HighlandSC » Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:23 pm

I'd cut my limbs off before leaving it to finish up it's meal! and at least I'm sure someone around here will be interested in purchasing a freshly cut limb :think:
User avatar
HighlandSC
 
Posts: 2188
Munros:33   Corbetts:4
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:14   
Islands:8
Joined: Jul 12, 2009
Location: USA (formerly Inverness)

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby Caberfeidh » Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:32 pm

kinley wrote:I'm often sadly short of condiments when out on the hills


You're just not trying hard enough - those wee salt and pepper sachets you get in pubs and cafes are excellent for hill-food condimentation. As are the sachets of ketchup, mustard, etc.

HighlandSC wrote:is there any other health issues related to leeches being on you?

Arrr, ye can get infections which could lead to blood poisoning, and possibly Giardia which is nasty. Or some new disease which no-one had heard of before.

Michelle wrote:Or (gasp!) just let them finish and drop off safely on their own.


I read of some bloke who did this in Vietnam and it must have been a different kind of leech, coz it swole up like a football and the blood-donor it was attached to went very pale and dizzy for a few days.
I'd go for the salt option. :shock:
User avatar
Caberfeidh
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 8367
Joined: Feb 5, 2009

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby mountain coward » Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:48 pm

I'd be pale and dizzy just looking at one... especially if it was attached to one of my body parts! :o
mountain coward
 

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby ianmeach » Wed May 27, 2020 1:28 pm

On a recent wander through a piece of woodland close to home I passed bye a small pool of water barely fed by stream all but dried up. I noticed movement and stopped with my friend to look, there were up to a dozen at first what looked like small eels but these had a flattened profile with a greenish tinge and possibly striped!! with darker bars. In size between 2 and 5 inches long and 3/4 to an inch wide. I sadly could not get a photograph when they stopped moving they simply vanished.
I suspect they where leeches but I have never seen leeches this size before.
Can anybody confirm from description what they are?
Cynnyc.
ianmeach
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Jun 22, 2017

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby Caberfeidh » Thu May 28, 2020 4:35 pm

ianmeach wrote:On a recent wander through a piece of woodland close to home I passed bye a small pool of water barely fed by stream all but dried up. I noticed movement and stopped with my friend to look, there were up to a dozen at first what looked like small eels but these had a flattened profile with a greenish tinge and possibly striped!! with darker bars. In size between 2 and 5 inches long and 3/4 to an inch wide. I sadly could not get a photograph when they stopped moving they simply vanished.
I suspect they where leeches but I have never seen leeches this size before.
Can anybody confirm from description what they are?
Cynnyc.


Those may have been brook lampreys, which gather in a writhing knot to mate then disappear quickly into the gravel when disturbed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brook_lamprey
User avatar
Caberfeidh
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 8367
Joined: Feb 5, 2009

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby Alanh1966 » Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:48 pm

One of my local ponds in westend glasgow has loads of leeches in it .
Alanh1966
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1
Munros:5   Corbetts:6
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:3   
Joined: May 11, 2018

Re: Leeches(?) in the Green Lochan

Postby Dan1001 » Sat Jun 20, 2020 11:51 pm

Yes these are Leeches. Loch Vaa about 3 miles East of Aviemore is full of them. Given the chance they will attach to you, I found this out while fishing on the Loch,
Dan1001
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 19
Munros:6   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:14   
Joined: Oct 31, 2014
Location: Carrbridge

Previous



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Wildlife sightings

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests