For the first time, scientists have captured on video a leech leaping from a leaf, settling a long-standing debate about the creature’s jumping abilities.

The question of whether leeches can jump has been debated since the late 1800s when rumors of their ability first surfaced. Despite occasional sightings, conclusive evidence was lacking until now.

My Fafmi A researcher from Fordham University in New York documented this ability during fieldwork in Madagascar in 2017. While hiking, she discovered a Chtonobdella hill (Kutnobdera Falux) – A worm-sized animal that lives only in Madagascar.

“I crouched on the ground next to the leech, took out my phone and started recording,” Fahmi said. “At the time I had no idea what I was recording.” When he showed the video to his colleagues in New York, Fahmi said they all had the same reaction: “Did that leech just jump?”

Six years later, Fahmi returned to Madagascar again to attempt to record another jumping leech, and again met with immediate success: this time, he recorded two leeches interacting, one of which leapt off a leaf.

The leech prepares itself by anchoring its rear suckers to the ground (in this case a leaf) and wrapping the rest of its body around its back, then, like a cobra attacking, thrusts its body forward in one swift motion, detaching its rear suckers and launching itself into the air.

The sudden, explosive movements may be a tactic to land on or near unsuspecting prey. Although the leap is a bit awkward, “this is clearly active propulsion,” he said. Michael Tesler At Medgar Evers College in New York.

Terrestrial leeches have not been studied extensively, even though analyzing their blood meals can help conservationists track elusive animals. But finding the ability in two different individuals and locations “suggests that the behavior is more common than we thought,” Tesler says. Based on this evidence and anecdotes from other regions, he believes this is not the only jumping leech in the world.