# HAMMERHEAD FLATWORMS IN CALIFORNIA?



## SILVERSTAR

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED THESE WORMS? evidently they are invasive and brought in usa in planted pots of tropical plants and i found one slithering across the side walk at 6:30am i knew is wasnt a regular worm,i thought it was a snake actually,finally i googled hammer head flatworm AND FOUND OUT EVERYONE HATES EM CUZ THEY EAT EARTHWORMS PREDATORY AND SOME LIKE EM CUZ THEY EAT SLUGS AND SNAILS...THEY KINDA CREEPED ME OUT.


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## HLogic

I have seen them as far north as Tennessee. They are of Asian origin and prey on earthworms mostly. They are relatively easy to kill. Just touch them with something metallic and they 'dissolve' in a few hours. The largest I found was almost 8" (20 cm) long, most were 3" - 6" (7 - 15 cm).

Many of us studied similar flatworms (planaria) in school. These are interesting due to the size attained, much easier to manipulate than the 1/2" (1 cm) or smaller ones used in typical biology classes...

These are, as stated, invasive and have depleted annelid populations in some limited areas...


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## Turtle Guru

man that is a mean lookin worm right there. ive never seen one because they dont have them where i live but i never seen any worm like it cool picutre though


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## dmarcus

Thais is one creepy looking worm..


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## SILVERSTAR

thats not the actual one i saw i jus found that pic after googling em the one i found was bigger and i didnt get a pic of it. I had no idea this invasion was going on.They are jus weird and they will grow into two if you cut em in half.I Think the harsher winters in most states kill em off but cali winters i think they are adapting to it cuz they were reported pretty much all over california.


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## Fernando

That's insane. I've never seen one a worm like that before!


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## October

Wow, that's kinda cool looking.


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## Yvonne G

Oh lordy, lordy. Please, please, please...I hope I never see one of those!!! First time I ever saw one of those huge brown centipedes (big as a cigar) I thought I was going to throw up.


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## Fernando

I thought this one looked pretty cool.


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## ALDABRAMAN

WOW..


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## FranklinAndTara

I found one of these under my torts water dish today! I saw this link like a week ago but hadnt read it. I thought flat worms were an intestinal parasite! then i saw it today and immediately came to read this!


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## Angi

Hmmm....I remember seeing those and getting pretty freaked out at my last house in Escondido. I too thought it was an intestinal parisite and paniced. I didn't know how to use a computer at the time, so I just put salt on them and squished them. I hope I don't see them again, I like my earth worms.


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## N2TORTS

Looks like good bait!


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## bo08

I am in Roseville, got same freaky worm on my concrete..





too bad i didn't know you need to put some salt on it!!


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## dmmj

it looks like a mad scientist experiment gone wrong, horribly wrong.


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## Yvonne G

bo08 said:


> I am in Roseville, got same freaky worm on my concrete..
> 
> too bad i didn't know you need to put some salt on it!!



Hi bo08:

Please take a moment to start a new thread in the "Introductions" section and tell us a bit about yourself.


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## SILVERSTAR

bo08,,,,,,,,,that picture you posted was exactly like the ones i see kinda long but skinny,my girlfriend was so freaked out but i think shes kinda forgot about it now,wut really scared her was when we read up on them and saw how far they spread since the 70`s and also that they came here in loads of tropical plants and the dirt they grow in and they are even reported in states that have very harsh winters so either they are adapting to the winters sumwat or new batch get shipped in every year for fresh reinfestation,BUT WUTS TO STOP EM FROM INFESTING THE WARM CLIMATES IN USA??? not only that, there are quite a few different subspecies in the united states already.


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## bo08

To my understanding the dry climate kills them, warm or cold. Our area doesn't have consistent wet soil, we are practically irrigated desert, so the flatworm will not spread as easily as africanized bee for example. But unfortunate news is, these worms are being brought here by loads both legally and illegally. I am sorta a tree-hugger and hoping that some regulation will stop this kind of force-migration of species.. if we don't, what is next? should we introduce these worms to MARS? or MOON? 



SILVERSTAR said:


> bo08,,,,,,,,,that picture you posted was exactly like the ones i see kinda long but skinny,..... BUT WUTS TO STOP EM FROM INFESTING THE WARM CLIMATES IN USA??? not only that, there are quite a few different subspecies in the united states already.


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