” Though the Kinabalu Giant Red Leech is called a leech, it does not feed upon blood”
The Kinabalu giant red leech absolutely meets its name. This insect is intense reddish- orange in shade and is twenty or even more inches long. It’s located on a hill in Borneo. Kinabalu giant red leeches are predators consuming a worm that lives together with it in Borneo.
Kinabalu Giant Red Leech Species, Kind, and Scientific Name
Mimobdella buettikoferi is the scientific name of the Kinabalu giant red leech. While words Mimobdella is the genus of the insect, words buettikoferi is a recommendation to Johann Buttikofer. Johann Buttikofer was a conservationist that gathered among these insects for research.
Kinabalu giant red leeches come from the Salifidae family. Leeches are determined by their slow-moving, inchworm- like activities. The Mimobdella is a genus within the Salifidae family. The 3 leeches in this genus consist of:
- Kinabalu giant red leech- Mimobdella buettikoferi
- Mimobdella japonica
- Mimobdella africana
Appearance: Just How to Recognize a Kinabalu Giant Red Leech
The dimension of this insect is its most remarkable function. It can expand to a size of 20 inches or longer. It has slimed intense reddish- orange skin. The slim body of this insect permits it to match the holes of rocks in its hilly environment. It gradually pushes its fractional body throughout the damp dirt trying to find its target. 4 to 6 years is thought to be the life expectancy of this leech.
When you consider words leech, you might visualize a slimed animal with a thicker, much shorter body developed to acquire its target. The Hungarian leech is one instance. It has a thick body with skin including a vibrant pattern of eco-friendly, red, and black. The Hungarian leech eats blood. The Kinabalu giant red leech looks even more like a worm than a regular leech.
It’s appealing to contrast the Kinabalu giant red leech to a nightcrawler you might see on the walkway. They are both slimed, fractional insects. Yet the most significant nightcrawler just expands to be a little over 9 inches long. And also, brownish nightcrawlers can conveniently mix right into their dirt environment.
An additional distinction in between nightcrawlers and Kinabalu giant red leeches is nightcrawlers are not predators. Rather, they eat disintegrating plants and veggies. They might also be located in a yard compost heap.
Kinabalu giant red leeches are vulnerable to predators due to their intense shade. So, their only technique of self- security is to glide right into rock holes in order to remain concealed.
These leeches are singular. They remain in rock holes a lot of the moment. As a matter of fact, they are just seen throughout hefty rains or after a tornado. This is when their Kinabalu giant earthworms are depleted out of their hiding locations.
Environment: Where to Locate Kinabalu Giant Red Leeches
These giant red leeches stay in southeast Asia. Especially, they are just located on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. These insects live at an elevation of 8,200 to 9,800 feet on the hill. They conceal in rock holes and are located in moist dirt below fallen leave particles.
Borneo is an island shared by 3 nations:
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Brunei
Diet: What Do Kinabalu Giant Red Leeches Eat?
Though the Kinabalu giant red leech has words leech in its name, it does not connect to and draw the blood of its target. This leech is a predator, ingesting its target whole.
What consumes Kinabalu giant red leeches?
Big birds are predators of this giant leech.
What do Kinabalu giant red leeches eat?
This insect’s target is the blue- grey Kinabalu giant earthworm. Like the Kinabalu giant red leech, this earthworm is just located on MountKinabalu At 27 inches long, this earthworm is bigger in dimension than the Kinabalu giant red leech. Though it’s bigger in dimension, it still pays a cost as the only target of this leech on MountKinabalu The Kinabalu giant red leech has the ability to subdue the worm, ingesting it entire.
