Saturday, April 2, 2011

Attack of the vampire 'worm'?

In the lead up to our work trip away there has been the normal flurry of activity - all those maintenance jobs to be done including mowing and whipper snipping the weeds in the coffee plantation and down on the terraces.

Mowing was done before lunch and whipper snipping after. When I came in I noticed a trail of blood on the floor - I had been 'attacked' by a leech.  Fiona found it by my boot downstairs and took the photo below. The leech filled with my blood is about 80mm long and about 8-10mm round at the thickest point. I must have pulled it off with my sock when taking my work boots off.

Barry Smith © Leech - fully loaded
Leeches have a great anti coagulating chemical in their bite - hench the blood still pouring out of my foot - it will continue to bleed for an hour or so.

Barry Smith © A little Aussie bleeder
So much excitement on the block.

13 comments:

  1. Oh disgusting - it is hugely filled with your blood! My leech bite from C's birthday party is still lumpy and itchy. Drugs may be the go!!

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  2. .... and apparently your fever will be broken :-) Even after the good things one hears about leeches they still give me the creeps.

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  3. don't like leeches. but, in the spirit of old time medicine, maybe you'll be better for the bleeding!

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  4. Oh my. I've never seen one before.

    Your social research sounds so interesting to me. If I had enough lifetimes, I would want to do that too!

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  5. glad we don't have those little bloodsuckers here...at least not in the yard!

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  6. All - not really sure that the leech did a lot for my fever or general well-being - and yes big ones like that give everyone the creeps. Hope all our technology works on the islands and we will be able to post regular updates. LAM - we are fortunate in what we do. Go well. B

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  7. In spite of our garden producing spiders and snakes, the one thing I really don't like is the good old leech. The bleeding eventually stops but the itching seems to go on forever.

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  8. Ick. I like most creatures, even most that others think are yucky - spiders, snakes - but leeches give me the willies! Last summer we had a terrible drought and our swimming hole was really low and the river moved slowly. Perfect for leeches! One day there was a HUGE one swimming after me. I got out fast and that was the last swim of the year! I hope I can get in this year..... but that leech was about the size of a small snake! :(

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  9. EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!! i can't believe you have leeches there ... i thought they only exist in rainforests!!

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  10. urghhh... hope it never left any after effects x

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  11. V - what an amazing tale - my leech was but a tiddler.

    LT - there are parts of the block that are pretty thick with foliage - mini rainforests?

    S - Not al all - good that I heal well.

    Go well. B

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  12. V - what an amazing tale - my leech was but a tiddler.

    LT - there are parts of the block that are pretty thick with foliage - mini rainforests?

    S - Not al all - good that I heal well.

    Go well. B

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  13. there is something quite unnerving about leeches, I hope your foot is healing well!

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.