We hate to tell you this, but there are leeches that can jump

Leeches are generally considered the stuff of nightmares. They lurk in warm, slow moving water. They drink blood.

And now, scientists have recently confirmed that at least some of them know how to jump.

Conservation biologist Mai Fahmy was studying the common Chtonobella fallax leech in Madagascar when she first documented the phenomenon on her phone.

At first, she says, "I really thought nothing of it." But then, when she came back to show her colleagues what she thought was just a fun video, "they couldn't believe what I had," she says.

That 10-second video helped lay to rest a centuries-old debate about the nature of terrestrial leeches. In this episode of Short Wave, host Regina G. Barber and producer Hannah Chinn discuss Fahmy's findings — and dive into the weird and wonderful world of leeches.

Interested in more critter science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to consider your animal of choice for a future episode!

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