Leech removal from turtles..

[ColdwaterCreekGuide]

There are leeches in the creek on my property, and they really like turtles. I found two turtles today so crawling with leeches they could barely move.. I rescued them temporarily, and removed most of them, but a few are really hard and crusty, and the soldering iron\wood burner is not working as well..
Any other tips for removing nasty hardened leeches?

BTW one is a Loggerhead I think, the other a baby slider of some sort.

 

[ColdwaterCreekGuide]

BUMP

 

[Bosco1025]

needle nose pliers?

 

[ColdwaterCreekGuide]

Wouldn't that make the turtle bleed? Leeches use anticoagulants, if you rip them off the tiny turtle could bleed to death.. Right? Somebody on a less trustworthy forum said to use salt, so I am carefully trying some table salt directly on the leeches, so far, these are the toughest leeches ever! Usually a hot knife or safety pin works!

 

[evilxyardxgnome]

I have never heard about burning the leeches off. Salt has always worked.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Yep, give them a salt bath in warm water. Works everytime.

 

[ColdwaterCreekGuide]

I have never heard about burning the leeches off. Salt has always worked.

The salt eventually did work.. It just took a while for some of the big bad suckers to lose their grip. If leeches get on me, I use a lighter to heat up something and poke it..

Yep, give them a salt bath in warm water. Works everytime.

Thanks man.. I finally found someone else's thread that you replied to and decided you were plenty trustworthy..

I had never heard of this before but I resuced a big slider a few weeks ago that had leaches is this a common thing?

If leeches are present in a body of water, they will get on nearly anything they can! Leeches are very capable of latching on to frogs, fish, snakes, turtles (on skin or shell) and even crayfish!

Once again MFKers have helped improve the life of aquatic aminals!!!
The hatchling slider (I'm thinking YBS) has a koi pond lined up where it'll be fed and have plenty of room. The musk turtle (I don't think it was a loggerhead) was put back into the creek, (it never went very far and was only submersed in salty tap water in a freshly cleaned bowl for a short time)
I DO NOT CONDONE THE RELEASE OF ANIMALS AFTER CONTACT WITH EXISTING AQUARIUM(s)!
(just a reminder)