Dried　leech　(Whitmania　pigra　whitman)　has　been　widely　used　as　a　traditional　animal-based　Chinese　medicine.　Dried　leech　extracts　have　been　reported　to　have　various　biological　activities　that　are　often　associated　with　mammalian　glycosaminoglycans.　However,　their　presence　and　possible　structural　characteristics　within　dried　leech　were　previously　unknown.　In　this　study,　glycosaminoglycans　were　isolated　from　dried　leech　for　the　first　time　and　their　structures　were　analyzed　by　the　combination　of　Fourier-transform　infrared　spectroscopy,　liquid　chromatography-ion　trap/time-of-flight　mass　spectrometry　and　polyacrylamide　gel　electrophoresis.　Heparan　sulfate　and　chondroitin　sulfate/dermatan　sulfate　were　detected　in　dried　leech　with　varied　disaccharide　compositions　and　possess　a　heterogeneous　structure.　Heparan　sulfate　species　possess　an　equal　amount　of　total　2-O-sulfated,　N-sulfated　and　acetylated　disaccharides,　while　chondroitin　sulfate　/dermatan　sulfate　contain　high　content　of　4-O-sulfated　disaccharides.　Also,　the　quantitative　analysis　revealed　that　the　contents　of　heparan　sulfate　and　chondroitin/dermatan　sulfate　in　dried　leech　varied　significantly,　with　chondroitin/dermatan　sulfate　being　by　far　the　most　abundant.　This　novel　structural　information　could　help　clarify　the　possible　involvement　of　these　polysaccharides　in　the　biological　activities　of　the　dried　leech.　Furthermore,　leech　glycosaminoglycans　showed　a　strong　ABTS　radical　scavenging　ability,　which　suggests　the　potential　of　leech　polysaccharides　for　exploitation　in　the　nutraceutical　and　pharmaceutical　industries.