https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/golden-gate-park-leech-22270623.php
I hope this link works. It covers a rare iNat find in Golden Gate Park (a rare leech)
It’s nice to know there are still new, first-to-find species to be found in an area as densely covered by iNat enthusiasts as is the Bay Area.
The link works! Lovely story about a notable discovery during CNC.
Reading more about this leech genus of Helobdella, I learned that they occur worldwide, and DNA barcoding is often required to separate the species.
Thank you for sharing this article with us!
Thank you for sharing this. I just read the article. Very exciting.
Interesting to read about how they care for their young! It never would have occurred to me (and I appreciate that my “surprise” now has me thinking about my own assumptions about all living animals).
What a wonderful find to be the first to capture on iNat!
@zakqary, as someone who knows a bit about leeches, I would love to hear your take on this!
Sorry, I don’t check forums now and have only just now seen this. Yes, H. californica was described from that lake in San Francisco, and is part of the H. stagnalis complex. This complex already has dozens of species in it worldwide and dozens more are likely undescribed.
Wow, I don’t know anything about leeches, but I’m tremendously impressed by how much technical detail about the species the reporter included. You don’t always see that level of science reporting these days, with so many places having fewer specialized reporters.