United States: They found a predatory, immortal worm that survives after being cut into 300 parts

Rare species, if any, are aquatic or terrestrial invertebrates. An unprecedented situation It happened at the end of October in the city of Midlothian, in the North American state of Virginia, when the wildlife department released photos of a 12 inch “rare snake” long on your Facebook asking for more information.

“We identify thousands of snakes every year, but the problem is, we’ve never seen anything like it before and we don’t know if it’s a natural phenomenon. So if anyone has any idea what it is, Do not hesitate to comment. It has been described as being around 10 to 12 inches long, ”authorities said.

The post was filled with commentaries and the more specialized came to a conclusion: it was not about a snake or any type of threatening reptile. It was discovered that it was an invasive type worm called “hammer planaria”, a very rare species of invertebrate which presents strange peculiarities.

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Mostly, this species is imported from parts of Asia near the People’s Republic of China and India, and is not native to the United States at all. According to records from the Texas Invasive Species Institute, the presence of these worms had been documented in California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, states further south than Virginia.

But this is nothing compared to other aspects: it turns out that this hammerhead invertebrate and the species Bipalium this is hermaphrodite (with male and female genitalia) and asexual, this is predator of other insects, and even cannibals of itself.

The strangest thing? The insect can regenerate itself even after being divided into several parts and continuing its existence. It has been reported that this planarian has been divided into up to 300 parts which have been recovered and some have been eaten by others for the sake of survival.

In this direction, the invertebrate is characterized as “immortal” because the fragments can generate an independent organism, which allows them to proliferate in areas where they did not previously live. No doubts, a “super powerful” insect.

“These worms are able to produce chemicals that give them an unpleasant taste to defend against local predators. As invasive predators, (giant flatworms) probably are a threat to abundance and the biodiversity of soil invertebrates ”, assured the French biologist Jean-Lou Justine to the digital magazine Science Live in 2018.

This type of planar has been introduced not only in the United States, but also in Europe, where its presence in France has been known for at least 20 years.