Medicinal leech  (Hirudo medicinalis)

Facts

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumAnnelida
ClassOligochaeta
OrderGnathobdellida
FamilyHirudinidae
GenusHirudo
SizeLength at rest: up to 80 mm
Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Status

Classified as Vulnerable in the UK, listed under Appendix III of the Bern Convention, Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Annex V of the Habitats Directive, and protected in the UK under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, as amended.

left