A blood sucking leech attaches itself to the skin of its victim using its suckers. It makes a small wound in the surface of its hosts skin using three serrated jaws just inside its mouth. It then releases saliva into the wound, which contains the anti-clotting agent called hirudin. This keeps the blood flowing freely. The saliva also contains a substance that blocks nerve transmission from the pain sensors in the skin, so that the victim does not notice its bites.
In most cases, leeches are relatively harmless and do not introduce infection. Their bite can become infected later if it is not kept clean, but the leech bite does not cause too many problems. The only exception to this is if the victim is unlucky enough to have a leech bite into the mucous membranes inside the nose or in the mouth, as the host animal can then suffocate.
In most cases, leeches are relatively harmless and do not introduce infection. Their bite can become infected later if it is not kept clean, but the leech bite does not cause too many problems. The only exception to this is if the victim is unlucky enough to have a leech bite into the mucous membranes inside the nose or in the mouth, as the host animal can then suffocate.
