The Digestive System of a Kinabalu Giant Red Leech (Mimobdella buettikoferi)
The digestive system of a leech consists of four parts, and is located on the upper side of its body, apart from the mouth. To start off the process of digestion, the leech uses its 3 half-moon shaped jaws, which have many teeth. They are located inside the leech's mouth, which opens at the base of its frontmost sucker. These jaws and teeth are used to bite into the skin of its prey, making a Y-shaped mark in it. The next step is for the leech to suck out and swallow its prey's blood. Its pharynx turns inside out and goes into the wound it made with its jaws, and using its salivary glands, absorbs the blood. Next the blood goes down to the esophagus, and the crop. The crop is the part of the leech that acts as an expandable storage compartment for the blood. Some leeches can even store five times their body masses in blood, inside of the crop. Next the leech produces a substance that helps prevent the clotting of blood inside of the crop, as well as other materials to help stop the decay of the blood. As a
result of these methods, the leech does not need to feed more than two times a year. Finally, the blood goes
through the gizzard, intestines, and ends at the posterior sucker.
result of these methods, the leech does not need to feed more than two times a year. Finally, the blood goes
through the gizzard, intestines, and ends at the posterior sucker.