This Nearly Immortal Carnivorous Worm Is Invading The South. Here’s What You Need to Know.
When it comes to worms I normally think of the harmless earthworms that we would pick up and play with as children after it had rained.
My grandpa would have me collect as many as I could so that he could use them for fishing bait.
I had no idea that there was a carnivorous worm or nearly immortal worms and it kind of gave me the creepy crawlies thinking about it.
The hammerhead worm exists and it can be found in Louisiana and other southern states.
It’s invasive, toxic, carnivorous, and very slimy… ew… and totally real even though it sounds like science fiction.
They are predators.
Chris Carlton, PhD, Director Emeritus at the LSU Ag Center said
After reading about them, it seems as though they are not as harmful as you would think from that description.
They’re not dangerous. They’re unusual and kind of strange, and they gross people out because they’re slimy. But that’s about it.
Chris Carlton, PhD, Director Emeritus at the LSU Ag Center said
They say there is no reason to be fearful of the hammerhead worm, but they can be dangerous, especially to earthworms.
The Hammerhead worms are part of a large group of flatworms that belong to the particular file of organisms. These terrestrial flatworms belong to a particular family. In North America, there’s probably five or six.
Chris Carlton, PhD, Director Emeritus at the LSU Ag Center said
The hammerhead worm has a flat head that looks similar to a hammerhead shark, this worm can grow up to a foot long!
Hammerhead worms eat pests like insects, snails, and slugs, but they also eat the very beneficial earthworm.
The way they eat is absolutely disgusting sounding, they have a mouth on the underside and they release an enzyme and toxin when they attach to prey.
The toxin immobilizes the prey and the enzyme helps them digest the prey and they drink it up… again… ew.
They sort of wrap themselves around them (insects), and they digest them from the inside out and they basically drink the digested organism like a Slurpee.
Chris Carlton, PhD, Director Emeritus at the LSU Ag Center said
If you try to kill the worm by cutting it, then it will just regrow, so one worm can quickly turn into many depending on how many pieces you cut it into.
That’s a bit frightening and concerning!
The best way to kill these hammerhead worms is with salt or vinegar, just sprinkle it on them.
If you happen to touch this worm, make sure you wash your hands right away to remove the toxin.
