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Tyrannobdella rex is a large leech found in the Amazon with huge teeth (for a leech) and an affinity for entering mammalian parts such as noses and eyes to feed.
Ewwww.....
T. Rex of Leeches Found in Amazon Swimmers’ Noses
A toothy leech found in the noses of Peruvian swimmers has called attention to an unrecognized and gruesome branch on the tree of life.
Dubbed Tyrannobdella rex, “tyrant leech king,†the pinkie-finger-sized bloodsucker has a single jaw, with teeth five times longer than those found in any other leech.
Described in a paper published April 14 in PLoS ONE, the first specimen was found by doctors in 1997 in the nose of a 6-year-old boy in San Martin, Peru. He had complained of headaches.
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A toothy leech found in the noses of Peruvian swimmers has called attention to an unrecognized and gruesome branch on the tree of life.
Dubbed Tyrannobdella rex, “tyrant leech king,†the pinkie-finger-sized bloodsucker has a single jaw, with teeth five times longer than those found in any other leech.
Described in a paper published April 14 in PLoS ONE, the first specimen was found by doctors in 1997 in the nose of a 6-year-old boy in San Martin, Peru. He had complained of headaches.
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