Nerdy Science Blog

A new species of leech is discovered at the remote Peruvian Amazon.  The new species is given the name Tyrannobdella rex or tyrant leech king.  The new tyrant leech king is first discovered from the nose of a girl in central Chanchamayo Province, Peru in 2007.  It belongs to a group of leeches that only suck on mammalian mucus membrane.  The leech king can grow up to 3 inches long and has large teeth to attack mammals’ orifices, including eyes, urethras, rectums and vaginas.  Ironically, the king has small penis according to Mark Siddal, curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

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