Medicinal leeches, or Hirudo medicinalis, live in ponds and ditches where they feed on amphibians and grazing animals. They are also a protein-rich snack for others in the ecosystem. Their numbers ...

pond skaters, whirligig beetles and great diving beetles. Other creatures might then arrive, such as leeches, frogs, dragonflies and ducks. For some of this pond life, a temporary home suits their ...

The medicinal leech - once used across Europe for bloodletting treatments - has been found in three ponds near Carrick Shore on the Solway Coast. It makes the region one of only three parts of the ...