Karen54

Even cooler - their venom doesn't carry the typical leech anesthetic, so you actually feel (ouch!) the bite and can brush the bugger off before it gets firmly attached. Unless, apparently, you're me. On last year's trip to Sabah, Malaysia, I discovered that I'm immune to tiger leech venom. My leech got nice and fat before I finally discovered it. (Oh happy day!) On the plus side, I never experienced any scabbing or itching - typical with leech bites - after I got it to fall off by patting it with a mesh bag full of sea salt.]

I was bitten by one of these in Sabah, Malaysia. This is a hungry one. If it was fatter and well-fed, you'd see that they're commonly called "tiger leeches" because of their lengthwise darker and lighter stripes. Most people feel a stinging or pinching sensation when tiger leeches bite (unlike most leeches, whose venom contains an anesthetic), so they usually get brushed off quickly. I'm the one in a million who is immune to the venom, so the tiger leech under my arm had a chance to get nice and fat before I discovered it!