Kinabalu giant red leech
The Kinabalu giant red leech is a large bright orange-red coloured leech that is endemic to Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. It can grow to a length of over.Etymology
The holotype was collected by Johann Büttikofer, and the specific name buettikoferi is derived from his surname.Ecology
The Kinabalu leech is not hematophagic and feeds only on worms such as the Kinabalu giant earthworm, Pheretima darnleiensis. It lives in the damp leaf litter and soil that often accumulates in fissures. It can be found in Kinabalu Park at an elevation of where the trail runs over a rocky outcrop near to the Mempening and Paka Cave shelters. It is usually seen during or after heavy downpours.Taxonomy
Kinabalu giant red leech is currently classified under the genus Mimobdella of the family Salifidae. However Nakano has questioned its inclusion within the genus. The internal and external morphological characteristics of these two species do not fit the generic diagnostic criteria as established by the type species and the only other species in the genus, Mimobdella japonica.
