Bloodsuckers!

Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

Museum, Air And Space, Society & Culture, National Museum, Tony Cohn, Sidedoor, Natural History, African American History And Culture, Postal Museum, History, American History, History Of The World, Exhibits, Art19, Pop Culture, Smithsonian, The Smithsonian, Science, Washington, National Zoo, Zoo, Dc, Exhibit

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2021

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Leeches don’t get a lot of love. They’re slimy, wriggly, and, well, they suck — blood that is. But there’s a lot to learn about the lowly leech. Led by a troupe of Smithsonian experts, we’ll discover how these toothy hangers-on wormed their way into medical practices, performance art, and EVERY human cavity. Yes, even that one. It's a journey of discovery from the swamp to the stage and deep into the vaults of the Smithsonian. And it just may leave you with a little more appreciation (dare we say, love?) for the bloodsuckers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is SideDore, a podcast from the Smithsonian with support from PRX.
0:13.7	I'm Lizzie Peabody.
0:23.7	If you've ever had roommates, you know it can be a tricky relationship to navigate.
0:29.0	Roberto and RMC Fuentes have a great relationship with their living partners, which is pretty amazing
0:35.0	given that there are 13 of them.
0:37.2	They're quite pleasant.
0:38.2	We like having them around.
0:39.4	We look at them, we talk to them, we feed them, and they are now part of our household.
0:45.4	But these aren't your typical roommates, and not everyone is a fan.
0:50.0	RM told me about this one time.
0:51.4	We had someone over, and we were having lunch, and then they were like, what is that crawling
0:58.5	over on the floor over there?
0:59.5	What's that?
1:01.5	Are those leeches?
1:03.5	Oh, those are leeches, like where are they coming from?
1:07.5	Our friend was like, I'm never coming to your house ever again.
1:16.5	Roberto and RM share their home with 13 live leeches.
1:21.5	Yes, the parasitic worms that can suck your blood, which when they're not escaping across
1:26.5	the floor live in a glass bowl in the dining room.
1:30.2	Can I see them?
1:31.2	Yeah, sure.
1:32.2	Where are they gathered?
	...

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