I used to guard a downtown office building in Austin.
There aren't many critters that creep me out...and a few of these wouldn't be a problem...
...but patrolling past the glassed-in pavilion at four in the morning and watching as HUNDREDS of them slimed their way up the glass...? Definite eek moment.
The first picture is ok, but worms creep me out. I'm sure they're all fascinating and stuff (who wouldn't want an earthworm slurry?!) but I would still run away in fear if I saw one. Or hundreds.
August 18, 2008
Anonymous said...
I'm pretty sure slugs can do the dangle-trick too. I found a dangling slug just a week or two ago.
This little Planarian takes the phrase "talking out of your ass" to a whole new level. Since that seems to be a prominent quality amongst politicians, maybe the Planarian should run for office.
Have these made it to Hawaii? My wife found something like that a few weeks ago on the Big Island. What else do they eat, or have earthworms made it there too?
We found a less colorful version in Croatan National Park, New Bern, NC, a few weeks ago. Before we know what they were, we called the "nightmare slugs", because we were certain we'd have nightmares that night!
August 22, 2008
Anonymous said...
I remember finding lots of these (maybe not this particular species, but definitely land planarians) around my house in Fort Worth, Texas several years ago.
June 21, 2009
Continuing with the worm theme, Joe sent me this lovely little creature. Say hello to the land planarian. Though I don't know the specific species of this colorful land planarian, it's guaranteed to dine on earthworms.
Most creatures have the decency of hunting, then eating, then digesting. Not so with the land planarian. No, this creature hunts, then digests, then eats. As the Peripatetic Pedaller describes: "They digest their prey outside their bodies, by secreting enzymes that will melt an earthworm into a digestible slurry. Yum."
[Image]
To add insult to injury, the planarian's mouth is also its anus (I imagine they don't kiss very often). And, they travel on a slime trail like snails and slugs. But they can also use this slime to create a thread to dangle itself down to otherwise unreachable sections of the forest floor.
Who knew such a basic creature could provide us with so many I-just-threw-up-a-little-in-my-mouth moments?
Thanks, Joe.
posted by Raging Wombat at 6:02 AM on Aug 16, 2008
11 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formThat top photo is very beautiful!
The head makes it look a bit alien :)
August 18, 2008
I used to guard a downtown office building in Austin.
There aren't many critters that creep me out...and a few of these wouldn't be a problem...
...but patrolling past the glassed-in pavilion at four in the morning and watching as HUNDREDS of them slimed their way up the glass...? Definite eek moment.
--TwoDragons
August 18, 2008
Denita, you are a woman of many talents.
August 18, 2008
Denita, that's a very eek! moment. =(
The first picture is ok, but worms creep me out. I'm sure they're all fascinating and stuff (who wouldn't want an earthworm slurry?!) but I would still run away in fear if I saw one. Or hundreds.
August 18, 2008
I'm pretty sure slugs can do the dangle-trick too. I found a dangling slug just a week or two ago.
August 19, 2008
This little Planarian takes the phrase "talking out of your ass" to a whole new level. Since that seems to be a prominent quality amongst politicians, maybe the Planarian should run for office.
August 19, 2008
Wombat, I can't tell if you're complimenting or insulting me...or both... ;-)
Yeah, let's just say I'm really happy to be living in a much drier, more gravelly part of the Lone Star State now. Yeesh.
--TwoDragons
August 19, 2008
Compliments only, Denita.
August 19, 2008
Have these made it to Hawaii? My wife found something like that a few weeks ago on the Big Island. What else do they eat, or have earthworms made it there too?
August 20, 2008
We found a less colorful version in Croatan National Park, New Bern, NC, a few weeks ago. Before we know what they were, we called the "nightmare slugs", because we were certain we'd have nightmares that night!
August 22, 2008
I remember finding lots of these (maybe not this particular species, but definitely land planarians) around my house in Fort Worth, Texas several years ago.
June 21, 2009