Kinabalu Giant Red Leech Facts
- This marvel of Nature, which evokes fascination in the minds of some, yet repels many others, bears the common name of the Kinabalu Giant Red Leech. Unlike many species around the world, though, for now, this wonder lacks any other generally accepted general name.
- Professionals, such as researchers, however, generally refer to the fascinating creature by its official, scientific name. That term, though, remans the rather tongue-twisting term of Mimobdella buettikoferi. By either term, however, it remains an amazing product of evolution.
- The marvel received that somewhat hard to pronounce technical name in the annals of science in 1897. The highly respected French naturalist, Raphaël Anatole Émile Blanchard, accomplished the first recorded recognition of it as a separate and distinct species at that time.
- Surprisingly, due to the nature of its native habitat range, the IUCN presently has no listing for this intriguing animal on its published Red List of Threatened Species. That situation, however, could easily change in the future, as environmental factors around the world decline.
- Numerous factors pose potential threats to the continued existence of the Kinabalu Giant Red Leech as a species. Habitat loss, largely due to human expansion and the resulting alteration of local environments represents a definite threat to this specifically evolved creature.
- This poses an especially severe danger for this particular invertebrate, though. That’s because it’s entirely evolved to live solely within its native habitat. It only feeds on one prey, which also happens to only live in its region. Climate change also obviously poses a severe threat.
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Kinabalu Giant Leech Physical Description
The perfectly named Kinabalu Giant Leech garners a great deal of attention, at least when it’s actually seen by humans, that is. That actually holds true for several differing reasons, however. While sheer physical size therefore isn’t the sole reason, it’s nonetheless among the main ones.
That holds true due to the fact that, as the attention-grabbing name implies, it ranks among the largest of its kind in the world. Like most members of its Class, however, the creature evolved as a hermaphrodite. The natural physiological trait of sexual dimorphism, therefore, does not apply to it.
Individual specimens of this amazing species frequently vary in overall length, of course. Exceptional examples, though, sometimes attain measured lengths equaling as much as 20 in (50 cm)! The great majority of observed individuals, though, remain somewhat smaller in size than that.
The invertebrate additionally draws the eye of those lucky enough to spot it for another reason, as well. That’s due to its impressive pattern of color, in fact. This fascinating Annelid evolved a bright, attention-grabbing color scheme consisting of a bright orange-red shade, across the entire body.
The body of the distinctively-hued Kinabalu Giant Red Leech itself, however, displays a design and construction in keeping with its Phylum. That trait evolved along the same lines as its prey, in fact. That’s because the long, slim body displays a highly jointed and segmented construction.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Annelida
- Class: Clitellata
- Order: Arhynchobdellida
- Family: Salifidae
- Genus: Mimobdella
- Species: M. buettikoferi
Kinabalu Giant Red Leech Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology
Most unfortunately, both for it and for those of us who appreciate the wonders of Nature and evolution, the Kinabalu Giant Red Leech posseses an extremely limited range of habitation. That’s so restricted, in fact, that this marvel of evolution currently only appears on a single mountain!
That amazing geological feature itself appears in an isolated and extraordinarily unique part of the region of the globe now known as Asia. Its precise location, however, sits apart from the continent itself. That’s due to the fact that its only known home lies on the incredible island of Borneo.
Even on that extremely isolated and ecologically unique site, this creation of natural evolution survives within a tiny zone of habitation. It appears only on the similarly-named Mount Kinabalu. Evidence further indicates that, historically, the remarkable creature never appeared beyond there.
Yet even in this location, the species only makes its home in very specific environments. The selective lifeform lives at altitudes ranging between 8,200 – 9,800 ft (2,500 – 3,000 m). It further resides only in fissures in the local rocks that possess a loose collection of damp soil and leaves.
The astounding Kinabalu Giant Red Leech differs from most of its kindred, though, in one specific manner. In its case, this difference manifests itself in terms of its diet. That holds true because, unlike most of its kindred, it does not feed on the blood of its prey. Instead, it feeds carnivorously.
Even in this, however, it demonstrates an extraordinary degree of specialization. It consumes only worms for its nourishment. It further feeds almost exclusively on a single species, the Kinabalu Giant Earthworm, which likewise lives only on the same mountain, also limiting its options.
Species Sharing Its Range
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