As we tidy away the Dracula capes and glow-in-the-dark plastic fangs for another winter, one notorious blood sucker has had a particularly good year. For the first time the medicinal leech Hirudo ...

Scientists have uncovered video evidence that at least one species of terrestrial leech can jump. This behavior has been debated for over 100 years, and can now be put to rest following research by ...

Using leeches to suck the blood out of a person might sound medieval, but it’s actually a medicinal practice still used today at many trauma hospitals. Though only used in a handful of cases, the ...

For centuries, observers have told tales of leeches leaping through the air in pursuit of their next meal—with written records of the creatures’ gravity-defying feats dating as far back as the 14th ...

Bloodsucking land leeches are tiny but tenacious creatures: they can use their suckers to crawl in search of prey and perhaps can even fall on their targets from trees. But scientists have long ...

A new video shows what appears to be the first evidence of jumping land-dwelling leeches in Madagascar, Africa. It was taken in 2017 by Mai Fahmy, who posted about the findings on Instagram on ...

Holly has a degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. Her scientific interests include genomics, personalized medicine, and bioethics.View full profile Holly has a degree in ...

Leeches are generally considered the stuff of nightmares. They lurk in warm, slow moving water. They drink blood. And now, scientists have recently confirmed that at least some of them know how to ...

A chance video by a grad student relishing her first big field trip might help resolve an argument that’s raged among biologists for more than a century. The question: Can leeches jump? Yes, at least ...