October 1 - Placobdella papillifera

Closely related to a glossiphoniid leech we saw earlier, Placobdella papillifera is a pretty leech distributed in North American freshwater habitats. P. papillifera is a blood-feeder, feeding on turtles (and sometimes alligators!). This leech was found under a rock in Savannah River in South Carolina. There are two pictures shown here, one showing the papillae on the dorsal surface and one showing the smooth ventral region. This leech was large, filling out the entire bottom of a petri dish! (Click on the thumbnail to get a good look at its pretty papillae.)

Contributed by Jessica Light.