”It hasn’t reached all of the United States but their numbers are increasing. Kind of hold them steady as they digest them,” Kuhlman said.īut with the earthworm being an essential part of our ecosystem, animal experts say hammerhead flatworms becoming more and more prevalent could threaten agriculture as we know it. ”They’ll usually line up their bodies with them and possibly use the neurotoxic venom. ”These chemicals that they exude can be an irritant to the skin,” Hodge said.Įxperts say neurotoxins are used to ward off predators and helps in the digestion of their favorite food, earthworms. ![]() The same could be the case if someone tries to cut one in half.īut General Curator for the Houston Zoo Kevin Hodge says that’s not the only reason why you shouldn’t touch them. ![]() The hammerhead flatworm can reproduce by laying eggs or detaching part of its body and turning into two worms. ”They’ve been here for a very long time over 100 years originally from Southeast Asia,” Khulman said. However, these worms are also not new to Texas. He says people may sight more of them because rainy weather forces them out of the ground. ”They typically live in the soil, under rocks, mulch, a nice shaded warm wet area,” said Stefan Kuhlman, a wildlife biologist and co-owner of Urban Jungle Wildlife Removal. The creature, whose scientific name is Planarian, ranges from light to dark brown in color and lives on land. But wildlife experts say here in Texas they could be lurking right under your feet. While a hammerhead flatworm can reach up to a footlong their slim bodies could make them easy to miss.
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