| Giant Amazon Leech | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Clitellata |
| Order: | Rhynchobdellida |
| Family: | Glossiphoniidae |
| Subfamily: | Haementeriinae |
| Genus: | Haementeria |
| Species: | H. ghilianii |
| Binomial name | |
| Haementeria ghilianii |
|
Haementeria ghilianii, also known as the Giant Amazon Leech, is one the world's largest species of leech.[1] It can grow to be 450 millimetres (17.7 inches) in length and 100 millimetres (3.9 inches) in width. At adulthood, these leeches are a greyish brown colour, as opposed to while juvenile, when they do not have uniform colour, but rather, a noncontinuous stripe of colour, and patched colouring. They live from the Guianas to the Amazon.[2] The leech produces the anticoagulant protease Hementin from its salivary glands.