Velvet Worm - Tumblr Posts
These babies are adorable, but they are not insects! They belong to the order Onychophora, a unique group that is closely related to arthropods, but they are not arthropods.
They hunt by squirting sticky fluid out of their frontal glands. The fluid dries quickly and immobilizes their prey (usually insects and spiders), so they can eat in peace. They are very slow moving and very soft, so they catch prey with glue.
Some of them live in matriarchal societies. All members go hunting, but females and babies eat first. This aspect of their life is sadly not studied a lot.
They can be kept as pets! But FIND A BREEDER. Don’t support taking them from the wild because some species are rare and endangered.
I hope you liked the fun facts about my favorite invertebrates after snails ❤️
Inktober day 4: exotic
Thanks to today’s velvet worm brainrot, you get this. Velvet worms (or onychophora) are closely related to arthropods and tardigrades. They are adorable, soft bodied with many small chubby legs. Their skin is ornate with lots of little papillae that make the skin texture resemble velvet.
Velvet worms are predators that hunt by squirting sticky fluid from glands on their face on their prey. The fluid is produced and stored in large mucous glands that occupy almost half of their body. The mucus is also full of digestive enzymes that soften the immobilized prey, so that the velvet worm can just slurp it up. Nom nom.
These animals are surprisingly intelligent and some even live in social groups of up to 15. These groups are similar to wolf packs - they are families consisting of one dominant female, her partners and her kids. Females are the leaders of the group and they and their kids get to eat the prey first. Also, females fight each other for territory.
Lastly, velvet worms have three different ways of having babies. Some species lay eggs. Others are ovoviviparous meaning that females keep fertilized eggs inside of their bodies and babies hatch inside of the mother and are then expelled out. And some give live birth and even have special structures to feed their babies.
Absolutely wild creatures, I love them beyond words.
Oh worm?
I just love velvet worms; they're such delightful little web-slingers.
Velvet Worm (Euperipatoides sp.), family Peripatopsidae, QLD, Australia
photograph by Stephen Zozaya
Chonky bastard, that isn't safe to touch because they will try to melt your skin
I didn't know velvet worms could be fat and/or colorful! May I see one?
fat <3
Puerto Rican velvet worm, Peripatus juanensis, Peripatidae
Photographed in Puerto Rico by wesgapp
The velvet worm has a beam attack. This is because it is God’s favourite beast.
This is... A WORM?!
yippee!!!!
wahooo!!!