365 Urban Species. #291: Terrestrial flatworm.

[urbpan]

Photographs by cottonmanifesto.

Urban species #291: Terrestrial flatworm Bipalium adventitium

I'm making a more conjectural species identification this time than I usually do, if you can believe that. Bipalium adventitium is a species known to be in the United States from Illinois to New York, and spreading. I'm still waiting to hear from someone at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology to see if an identification to species is even possible. This type of animal I have seen exactly three times, each time under debris in the wooded part of Olmsted Park in Boston. What's reasonably certain is that this is an exotic animal, most likely introduced inadvertently with tropical plants or soil from Southeast Asia or Indonesia. When the flatworm specialist comes back from vacation, hopefully these photographs along with the dead specimen pickled in 70% alcohol in a vial on my mantel, will provide enough information to positively verify it's taxonomy and origin.


Terrestrial flatworms are predatory animals, in the group Platyhelminthes, a phylum more well-known for its many parasitic members. Of course, painting the terrestrial flatworm with the same broad brush applied to the liver fluke or tapeworm is about as fair as condemning all vertebrates for their relation to the kandiru, the tiny catfish whose existence makes urinating while swimming in the Amazon ill advised. That said, it can't be described as a beautiful creature, unless one has an uncommonly agreeable attitude toward natural beauty. Flattened and flaccid, yet muscular and sluglike, secreting a thick sticky mucus, and, when disturbed, forever waving its mushy little hammerhead around, it's certainly distinctive. Unlike its more famous relatives that spend most of their lives inside the bodies of other animals, this creature and its ilk feed on earthworms, tackling prey many times their own size. A terrestrial flatworm introduced to Ireland from New Zealand (an island group usually on the short end of the "alien invasive" stick) is eating through the annelid fauna of the Emerald Isle at an alarming rate. The ecological damage to Ireland, its soil, its crops, and its natural landscape has yet to be fully calculated, but the situation is worrying. Whether this flatworm in Boston is a cause for distress or not, is something I hope to determine.










Dear Dr./Mr Taylor,

Thanks so much for your email. No need to wait for Harvard, the animal in the
photo is almost definitely Bipalium adventitium. My students and I have
continued to work with this species and its relatives. This species is now
found from coast to coast from VA to MA and CA to OR. Boston should be right
near the northern extent of its range.

We are currently studying the animals from both ecological and molecular
perspectives. We would welcome new live specimens for use in either behavioral
expermeints or on-going DNA sequencing. I would be happy to pay for the
shipping of a few individuals, but since this is not covered by any grants, I'm
trying to pay only for shipments of more than one individual. If you are
interested and have some to send, I'd be happy to send you directions for their
safe shipment.

If you'd like additional information about our work, I'd be happy to send copies
of some of our papers about these amazing beasts.

Thanks again for letting me know about your find. We are maintaining a database
on the distribution of these flatworms in North America.

Sincerely,

Pete Ducey
Department of Biological Sciences
State University of New York at Cortland
Cortland, NY 13045

Comments

[ms-cantrell.livejournal.com]

generally, i find anything except earth worms to be pretty gross. any sort of predatory worm seems rather nauseating. i had no idea of this type's existance, though - very interesting. :-|

awesome

[chainsawkarate.livejournal.com]

this is amazing.
cool photos!

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

Marine flatworms, on the other hand, are very beautiful.

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

I like to imagine you wandering the streets, peering under every rock and rotten stick you pass.

Pretty Cool Looking

[martianmoons.livejournal.com]

It is certainly an interesting creature, and it appears your dog has made a positive ID even if you have not.... ;)

Perhaps we do associate them too much with parasites, but this is a creature perhaps I will observe one day (guess I should pick up more rotten logs or decomposing leaves!).

[drocera.livejournal.com]

Disgusting! I sometimes find them under rock and wood around here and when encountered, I immediately become a girly-girl, screaming and running away.

The last picture made me laugh out loud, though! (In fact, I'm still chuckling)

[spocks-girl.livejournal.com]

My first thought upon seeing the picture was "Oh, an urban anchovy slice". :)

What an odd creature. Benign, hopefully.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Omigod, it does look like an anchovy slice. Maybe I'll start using some form of the word "anchovy" as a common name, to see if it'll catch on! :)

[g-weir.livejournal.com]

So you're not worried that the unidentified slimy thing you've found under a rock won't crawl into your ear and begin controlling you?

Havn't you seen any movies?

I mean, why are we always expecting metal ships?

--G

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

I mean, why are we always expecting metal ships?

"I've never expected metal ships" *g*

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Looks like a leech. Interesting. :)

[cdozo.livejournal.com]

Austin, Texas -- November 26, 2005

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting!! They grow 'em big down in Texas.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i've yet to see anything like that. perhaps i'm too north, and i haven't been poking around the dirt in cambridge this summer.

hopefully, they are ... harmless enough here. cutting them in half isn't probably a good idea if found ;) i'd be tempted hunt them down though and end them if they're going to hurt my cute slugs much like i go a ripping through any of the loosestrife that visits.

cool animalicule, but you go home now!

#

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

Cool little flatworm. I'm one of those weirdos who would consider it beautiful. But then, I'm always biased towards the invertebrates *g*

[origa.livejournal.com]

Hi urbpan, nice to meet you! I found your LJ through Laura, and am very happy for that! I am a gardener myself, so I hope we can share the same interest -- I friended you :)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Welcome! We have fun with this journal, and there are lots of nice people here.

stuff

[(Anonymous)]

idk what this site is lol im lookn for stuff for oyster flatwoms for school lol im bord

Flatworm found

[(Anonymous)]

It is 2007.05.MAY.17.THU.2130.CDT in Austin Texas
About two hours ago I was moving rocks from the easement at the street when I saw something I have seen before, many years earlier - a flatworm with a
spade-like head. So I gathered it up with some moist dirt and put it into a small plastic jar with a lid - it was moving around quite a bit, more than earthworms do - and brought it into the house to look it up on the Internet.
It took me over an hour to find this page, and the links within it, provide the pictures that help me sort of identify the creature. Your page is a
very good page.

I wonder how this creature survives, for the "soil" I found it in is a heavy clay with large-grained sand, and the particular spot is a pile of rocks I made a month ago and am now relocating. We had a heavy rain yesterday and the worm may have been washed out from another location, perhaps uphill from my house, and it was hiding the best it could from the sunlight (which in the afternoon bakes anything in this location).
Does it have poisonous skin? I doubt it, as I handled one years ago with no ill effect.

flatworm

[(Anonymous)]

I found one of these flatworms today in White Lake Michigan under a rock and found this sight because i was searching to find out what it was!

Just found one

[(Anonymous)]

I just found one of these in Dallas, Texas while moving bags of grass to the curb for trash day. It's been raining every day for a week so this is probably their ideal habitat right now.

urban species #291

[(Anonymous)]

I have been seeing these things in my backyard for years here in Austin, Tx. and I'm happy to have finally learned what they are. I don't often find them-years have gone by without seeing one-but they are usually happy to live on the bottom of a rotting log. Once I found two together, but usually they seem to be solitary. I found one yesterday crawling along a stucco wall after it rained. It was 2 1/2 inches or so while crawling, but when I picked it up it managed to mush its body into something that looked like a very skinny inch-long creature. Pretty amazing.

Worms & Leeches

[(Anonymous)]

I noticed you know alot about worms. Since all the rain has begun I am finding what looks like shiny black leeches or a type of flat worm on my patio and windows at night.

The are about 1 1/2 to 2" long, very shiny, leave a trail of mucus and if cut in half, the half containing the head returns the next evening.

I have not seen them before, but unsure what they exactly are. Would you be able to help me out or maybe point me in the right direction? THX

Re: Worms & Leeches

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I suspect they are some kind of terrestrial planarian. check these out:

http://wardsci.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_IG0013409_A_Black+Planaria+Living+Specimen

http://travel.mongabay.com/indonesia/images/java6333.html

Am I close?

Flat Worm

[(Anonymous)]

I live in Sydney Australia. We have these worms here also. However they are black with a gold/yellow stripe. After any rain they seem to get stuck to my dogs furry paws occasionally. When I try to remove them they just break up into pieces as the slime they seem to succrete sticks to my dogs fur.

Flatworm in Galveston Texas?

[(Anonymous)]

returning from a weekend in Galveston Texas, I removed my 3 year olds clothes wet and sandy from a bag they had been in for 2 days. I was alarmed finding a worm I have never seen. I have spent much time looking to make sure it was not a parasitic worm. I am positive from your photos this is what it is.

Should I do anything with it? I did keep it in a baggy so I could identify it.

Thank you.
shamaly

Re: Flatworm in Galveston Texas?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Do with it what you will. You can kill it (just leave it in the plastic bag and throw it out--that'll kill it), release it, or contact Pete Ducey (see address above--his email is easy to get through SUNY) and see if he wants you to send it to him!

It sure is fun hearing from folks like you! Send pictures next time!

[(Anonymous)]

Pete Ducey

How would I send this to you? I have found it Wednesday the 19th Nov. It is alive. I have it in a baggy.
debrashamaly@sbcglobal.net

Terrestrial Flatworm

[adventure777.livejournal.com]

I live in Cypress, Texas which is a little north of Houston. i live in a suburban development that is named Lakewoods Forest. It is an older development that maintained the trees when the houses where built about 20 to 25 years ago. It seems like the forest creatures have all stayed even after the houses where built. I see opossums, squirrels (by the dozens), more birds than you can imagine, and earthworms everywhere (dead on the road next to the curb and on the driveway all the time). If I see one while walking my dogs that is still alive, I will toss it back into the yard. Anyway, I was walking my dog this morning at about 5:30, which means it was still dark, when she stopped to smell something on the road next to the curb. She stayed there so long that I decided to see what was so interesting. I was shocked to find a Terrestrial Flatworm coiled around an earthworm in a life and death struggle. The worm did not seem to have a chance to live even though it was wiggling desperately. Since I had never seen this before and only seen the Terrestrial Flatworm once before in my yard on a water meter cover, I picked up the worms in the struggle with a clean dog poop bag. About 10 minutes later, after the dogs walk, I showed it to my wife. The earth worm had an area that was no longer covered by the flat worn but its skin looked red. I imagined that it was a reaction to the slim of the flat worm. About 2 minutes later there were a lot of small bubbles that looked almost like foam. The earthworm no longer moved and the flat worm was also still. They were still in the bottom of the bag and the bag was on my bathroom counter as I continued my morning routine for about 5 to 10 minutes. My wife excitedly brought my attention back to the bag because the flat worm was working it's way up the side of the bag. The earth worm had killed in and but it did not appear to use it for food. You could still see some of the small bubbles around it and heavy tint of Red color. I gave the flat worm to my next door nieghbor who studies snakes who referred to it as a snake but sent me this article. Thank you for your knowledge. I have one question. Should I be concerned about this worms existence in my yard to the point of poisoning for it?

Re: Terrestrial Flatworm

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks for the gory description of how the landchovy kills its prey! Very valuable.

I'd say no, on the poisoning for the flatworms. The effect of the predator on the North American earthworm population is not yet understood, so there's no cause for alarm (yet). Also, I can't say for certain, but it seems to me that any poison that would kill flatworms would also kill earthworms, which would defeat the purpose of killing the flatworms.

Great comment! next time we need pics.

Bipalium adventitium in Houston, Texas

[(Anonymous)]

I've been catching these in my lawn for several years and finally took the time to locate examples of them on the web.

flatworms

[(Anonymous)]

this page has taught me alot like I had been wondering what these things wore about 2 years now and I just randomly stumbled across this page and I might have missed it but I dont think you mentioned them being spotted in GA. so I thought well I better leave a comment sayin yeah there here too :)

Flatworm

[(Anonymous)]

I have just spent the better part of the afternoon trying to figure out what the *&%# this gross looking wormy slimy looking thingy majiggy I found slithering across my patio this morning was. Thank you for the answers! Now, for the rest of the questions.

I live in Mandeville, Louisiana. A suburb of New Orleans. Ive never heard of these creatures. The one that I found, I currently have it in a tupperware container, is pretty long, Maybe 12 inches. Im not sure about the stripes down the back, Id have to go take another look. It appears to be making some kind of foamy sticky substance in the container, i assume that is some kind of defense thing. What should I do with this thing? Should I be looking for more? Where did it come from? How did it get here? Should I be concerned about my kids and dogs? It looks alot like a tapeworm, any relation?
Thanks for the info, I appreciate the knowledge that I am not crazy and am imagining this worm!

Disgusted in the Big Easy!

Re: Flatworm

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'd guess you've got a similar species there, but since you don't have the punishing winters that we endure in Boston, they can get a bit bigger. I was warned not to handle them, but that was after I handled one for a long time to no ill effect. I'd advise against eating it, and if you have to tell your dog or your kids not to eat it, God help you.

It's not related to a tapeworm, and it's not a parasite of any kind. It's predatory, feeding on earthworms.