Tiger Leech - Haemadipsa picta

This one is around 1 cm, not extended, probably up to 3 cm when it extends. Quite colourful. Its hard to say they are pretty or nice considering they are 'actively' seeking you out to suck your blood! You certainly don't want to mess with them. They tend to come out after rain and sometimes, they drops down from the tree above onto you and even your camera.

comments (8)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Ugh, I've experienced small leeches in some rainforests and am ok with them, but a large one would definitely freak me out initially. Posted 8 years ago
1. Albert Kang
  
  Lion
  
  Those leeches can suck probably 5 times their initial size on each feeding!
  So, don't think small is harmless, before you know it, you have a big fat one attached to parts of your body! lol Posted 8 years ago
2. 1. Ernst
    
    Lion
    
    Nice one. I remember them from my time in Sarawak. Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. Albert Kang
      
      Lion
      
      Did you remember them because they also gave you a kiss! :p lol Posted 8 years ago
    2. 1. Ernst
        
        Lion
        
        Yes I remember two times in the groin area. Itchy for a while afterwards Posted 8 years ago
      2. Albert Kang
        
        Lion
        
        This guys are real sneaky!
        You gotta get some leech socks in tropical forests.
        I am usually fully covered - long sleeves with long pants + leech socks, so that they cannot get to me, but sometimes, I find them 'sneaking and hiding' in my pants pockets!
        Have a friend in Malaysia, he reported that a leech managed to get into his camera and damaged it! Posted 8 years ago

Barry

Lion

I can also recommend "gaiters". They are plasic sheaths that fir over your boots and pant legs, used by mountain climbers to keep snow out of your boots, they are brilliant against leeches. In Sri Lanka I caught about 20 crawling up my pants trying to get to some flesh but none succeeded (only in the garden when I wasn't wearing my gaiters!). Posted 8 years ago
1. Albert Kang
  
  Lion
  
  Yea, gaiters will work, similar way as leech sock.
  In some parts of Borneo, especially during the raining season, trails are over run with hundreds of leeches and this guys are not waiting-in-ambush at ground level, they can be at 2-3 meters height, that your face/head becomes vulnerable to leech attacks too. To prevent them getting on my face and neck areas that are exposed, I used a menthol-based ointment, they don't like it cos the menthol stings. Decided to do so after a friend, when we were in the montane forest in Philippines, a few leeches got to him at the back of his head, through his hairs! I only noticed it when the leeches has finished feeding and it was getting bloody! Posted 8 years ago

The Haemadipsa picta

''Haemadipsa picta'' is a large terrestrial leech found in Borneo, Indochina, and Taiwan. It was described by John Percy Moore based on specimens collected from Sarawak, Borneo. It preys primarily on medium- to large-sized mammals, including humans.

Info 6 1

Similar species: Proboscisless Leeches

Species identified by Albert Kang