Chas, as Timbersmith said. They're many different kinds of leeches but if you're in North America you could probably do an online search and pretty quickly have your answer. Most around NA can be confused with a worm or slug. In-the-water-habit for the aquatic type of leech is one clear way of differentiating it. My understanding of it is that there are terrestrial leeches (I don't know if there are terrestrial leeches in North America). My neighbor is the real expert though. He's a Curator & Professor of Herpetology. If you have any questions or pictures I could take it 'em to him.

Coll, you say" So I either spray and melt them on the spot or cut them in half with a tool if I have one handy. I read that if they have even one eye left, they will live. You can squash them with your foot, but cutting them in half is just making two of them, or so I assume. This is really a gross subject, reminds me of a slobbering bulldog with strings of slime getting on my hands, and I really don't like that....although bulldogs are fine, nothing against them, just their drool!!! You all have some exotic slimeballs to deal with, mine are all one kind, that wet gray color. My turtle disappeared, have not seen any frogs or toads this year, so it is up to me and the ammonia and Sluggo Plus and any other chemical in my arsenal. I had to stop with the pellets while it was raining so much, but now I must resume the back breaking job of spreading Sluggo on the ground, and ammonia in the pots. It's amazing to me that tender plant roots do not die from the ammonia, because it destroys my skin if I come in contact with it--or bleach for that matter. After I treated some plantaginea with a bleach solution for foliar nematodes, I had dermatitis for two weeks....it got on my hands and kneecaps, don't know how that happened.

Morz8: I went out with a flashlight and did find a caterpillar on the top of the soil! Only one... but maybe cutworms don't eat every night? It was also brown, so perhaps I missed it's buddies. I'll check again tomorrow night. I guess it's also possible I have multiple pests doing damage, if it does turn out to be only one. Maifleur: The poop was a dark brown color. I don't think it's turtles - the bed is raised 18 inches, so it seems like that would present a challenge for them. If rabbits have left your carrots alone then I guess there went my comfy theory that I had ruled out rabbits at least :). I'll have to see if I can find some way that they could be getting in the yard once it's light out again. Thank you, thank you both for your suggestions!!

PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I moved in my home three years ago and the first winter I had these exact critters and their screech is loud and creepy as well as their living IN MY HOME!! I was able to rid of them with poison(not my first choice or my normal humane way of ridding rodents) and they were gone with in a week. Yet they are back two yrs later and are not at all afraid to come out at any time of day right there in frount of you, sit with you and be an anoyance. I do not want to put poison out (not only because it is inhumane, but because I have a small Chihuahua and cat that I worry about.) PLEASE HELP!! I am desperate for any advice with getting them out of my home! My cat, THE MOUSER, will not go near it and that just makes me wonder what kind of diseses they have, Im literally grossed right out here. Please help!!!!!!!!!!! ANYONE?????