ANAHUAC, Texas — A video of a creepy crawler is getting a lot of reaction on social media this week after the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge asked what the critter was.
The refuge posted a video for its “What is it Wednesday?” requesting that people take a guess at what the creepy crawler was. Some guessed right before wildlife officials revealed the answer: a turtle leech.
While this leech is creepy-looking, they’re no threat to people. As the name suggests, they mainly feed on turtles and maybe fish.
The reactions to the social media post were pretty entertaining.
“Ewwwwww I just jumped out of my skin 😂😂😂😂,” one poster said.
“Looking for some blood,” another posted.
“Yep! That things gotta go!😂,” another commented.
According to Texas A&M University at Galveston, turtle leeches spend their entire life cycle attached to the turtle. During heavy infestations, the turtle may be harmed due to enormous blood loss.
Fish leeches are temporary parasites that leave their hosts after one or a few meals, TAMUG said. Some take shelter amid seagrasses or rocks and may attach themselves to crustaceans until they are ready for their next meal.
Some fish leeches attach only to a single species of fish, TAMUG said. Others are not so picky and will attach to a variety of fishes.