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Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Big Pink Worm is an Immature Earthworm

“Are these earthworms?” asks Adam in his submission regarding the big, pink worm pictured below. Now, he refers to a multitude of worms, but only pictures one, but we assume that the other worms look like this one. And to answer his question, we do think that this is an earthworm. Its coloration, segmentation, and shape point to this conclusion. The one thing it is missing is the clitellum, a physical trait which is characteristic of earthworms. The clitellum is the band of thicker skin that encircles the worm’s body, usually near its head, sometimes near its center. It is usually a different color from the rest of its body.

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Posted in Caterpillars Earthworms Worms Generally

Clear Pink Worms Scaling Home could be Earthworms or Caterpillars

“I have had these skinny, slimy-looking worms that are sometimes a pink color and a translucent pink,” writes this reader in her submission. She continues to say that the worms “have basically taken over the outside walls and doors of [her] house.” She lives “in the Heartland, Florida area”, and explains that the worms were found after “all the rain the past couple months. What are they?” She does not attach any photos to her submission, so we must note that any identifications we make here are merely educated guesses, and are not made with 100% certainty or accuracy.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Found in the House

Worms Swarming Home After Heavy Rains are Blackworms

“Thin black worms, the size of red wigglers, are coming in from outside under the door,” writes this reader about the critter pictured below. “It’s been raining heavily during the night in Hendersonville, North Carolina. I do not see any legs. I live in a long term care facility and don’t want to see them harmed. Thanks for your help.” Firstly, we want to thank our reader for the very helpful context, which in this case is especially helpful since the photo is pretty blurry. Knowing that it does not have legs rules out a lot of possible identifications and helps narrow down the possibilities. Secondly, we commend our reader for not wanting to see the worms harmed. We know, and understand, that a lot of people’s first instinct when they find worm-like critters in their home is to kill them, even if they are harmless.

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Posted in Earthworms Parasite Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Thin Black Worms Could be Horsehair Worms or Earthworms

“May I ask what these are?” asks this reader about the black worms, as well as the single, beige, worm-like creature, pictured below. “Are they all the same? Location: Philippines.” Well, we have to say that the photos are quite blurry, especially the second one of the light brown worm. We can’t make out anything other than its color and general shape. For that reason, we have to say that we will unfortunately not be able to identify these creatures with 100% certainty or accuracy. Of course, we can still try our best to provide an educated guess, though this will also be based on very little as we were provided no context other than that our reader is based in the Philippines.

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Posted in Dog Worms Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida

Pink Worms on Dog Blanket are Earthworms

“What kind of worms are these?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the pink worms pictured below. “They are less than an inch long, and there were quite a bit of them. We are from Louisiana. We found them on our dog’s blanket outside which had been in the mud.” We must say that the photo is unfortunately quite blurry, meaning that when we zoomed in to get a better look at the worms, it got even blurrier. Since we can’t make out the finer details of the worms’ bodies, we can just go off their general shape and coloration.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Generally

Hundreds of Brown Worms are Earthworms

“Can you help identify this worm/creature?” writes this reader about the brown, worm-looking critter pictured below. “They are out by the seeming hundreds right now and seem to have a tapered body. It’s raining, 55 degrees. Northwest Arkansas. Pictures attached.” Immediately, we have to say that the photos that our reader sent in were quite blurry, even without zooming in on the photo. This means that when we did zoom in for a better look at the worm, we could not see any of the finer details of the worm’s physical characteristics. For that reason, we will unfortunately not be able to identify the creature with 100% certainty or accuracy.

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Posted in Cat Worms Leeches Parasite Worms

Worms Near Cat’s Butt Look like Leeches, but a Vet’s Eye is Required

“I saw some of these worms in my cat’s fur, near his butt, but I’m not sure if it’s a parasite or just something from my garden”, writes Th?o in their submission regarding the black, worm-like organism pictured below. “It’s very small, like 5mm long, and very lithe. It’s a pinkish color (it looks darker in the picture). It also died (or dried out) soon after I found it, about 10-15 minutes later. We live in south east Asia, where there’s a tropical climate. Thank you for helping me.” To start with, we have to say that, whatever suggestions we make as to the worm’s identity, Th?o should take them with a grain of salt. The reason for this is that, since this worm was found on Th?o’s cat, it is possible that this is a medical situation.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Generally

Hundreds of Earthworms Discovered in Pool After Rain

“I find hundreds of earthworms in my pool after it has rained”, writes this reader in their submission, which does not include any pictures or videos. “It looks like a mass suicide? Now, I read they can survive for up to two weeks under water. Is the chlorine in the pool toxic for them, and how can I help them get back into the ground?” To start with, whether or not earthworms can survive underwater for two weeks seems to be a debatable topic. Some sources say they can survive for weeks underwater, while others say they can survive for hours. Our take is that this would be entirely dependent on the species. There are species of earthworms that belong to a group of worms called ‘bloodworms’. They are typically red in color, which they get from the excess production of hemoglobin, which does indeed allow them to survive in low oxygen conditions, such as underwater, for long periods of time. That said, not all species of earthworms are bloodworms, and we doubt the earthworms our reader found are bloodworms.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Generally

Striped, Black Worm in Dining Room is a Pheretima Earthworm

“Do you know what this worm is?” asks this reader about the black and gray-striped worm pictured below. “We found it on our dining room floor. Pasadena, CA. Thank you!” To start with, we want to compliment our reader on the excellent photo. If it were not for our reader capturing the detail of the worm’s striking stripes and long body, we might have mistepped and identified this worm as something completely different. With that said, we think our reader found a pheretima earthworm.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Generally

Black Worm with Suckers is a Jumping Worm

“This worm moves from both ends”, writes this reader about the black, worm-like creature pictured below. “It has suckers/feet that it moves along with. Hope you can tell me what it is and if it is dangerous.” To start with, we want to thank our reader for the excellent photos she sent in, the best one of which is the one we included. Since it is such good quality, we find it odd that we cannot see the “suckers/feet” that our reader refers to. To us, this worm looks completely void of any feet-like appendages.

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Posted in Dog Worms Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida

Pinkish Brown Worm in Chihuahua’s Water Bowl Could be Earthworm, but a Visit to the Vet is Advised

Pinkish, brown worms were found in Olivia’s dog’s water bowl, and she asks us to identify them, and answer the question of whether or not it could possibly be a parasite. She found two such worms, on two different occasions, and has provided excellent photos of them both. The latest one she found only recently; “This morning I refilled the water bowl for my dog. He’s a 15 year old chihuahua, and he loves to lick the floor looking for scraps of food. After a while he went to the water bowl and drank some water, and when he was done I found this worm looking thing in the bottom of the bowl. It wasn’t moving, but it couldn’t have been there for long since I had just changed the water. This is the second time I’ve found one of these in his water bowl, and the last time was 1-2 months ago. Do you know if it’s parasitic? Is it coming from my dog? Where is it coming from and why? We are located in Sweden. Thank you so much for helping, and have a great day!”

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Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Pink Worm on Bedroom Carpet is an Earthworm

“Why did I find a worm crawling on my carpet in my bedroom?” writes Elizabeth about the worm pictured below. “I live in Northern California and we’ve been having a lot of rain, but I don’t wear shoes in this room. There is a sliding glass door a few feet away, but it hasn’t been opened in weeks (it’s winter). I have two chihuahuas under 10lbs but there is no “accident” in the room. Is it a worm? It was moving kind of fast and also trying to dig its head in the carpet. Thank you.” To answer Elizabeth’s second question, this is indeed a worm. In fact, this is an earthworm. We can tell by its pink coloration, segmentation, and the clitellum encircling its middle.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Found in the House

Pink Worms Drying Out In Home are Earthworms

“I have noticed dried out worms every few days in one specific room for the last month”, writes Eoghan from Ireland, referring to the pink worms pictured below. “Please note it has been raining quite heavily the last month. The room and house are warm and not considered damp. There is a roller door that I believe these worms might be getting under and into the house. I sealed the door but they still seem to be getting in. I believe there is a tiny hole without a screw that I cannot visibly see but perhaps they might be getting in so I’m going to seal that today. I have attached several photos, on one occasion I found two worms wrapped together in the sliding door. There is no mulch or leaves outside the door, there is only a patio and then our garden. Interested to get your view on this and advice to prevent them from entering my house. Is there a reason why they are entering my house? Thanks so much!”

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Posted in Leeches Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Facts

Glossy, Black Worm in Swimming Pool is a Leech

“I found this in my swimming pool in Mobile, Alabama and I’m wondering if it’s a leech?”, asks Dean in his submission regarding the glossy, black, worm-like creature pictured below. Right off the bat, we have to agree with Dean that this does look like a leech. That said, when we zoomed in on the photo, we saw what looked like part of the creature’s underside, which was a lighter gray color. This made us think about slugs, and the possibility of this being one, though leeches also typically have lighter-colored undersides.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Found in the House

Tiny Pink Worms in Bathtub are Baby Earthworms

“I have read articles on your website regarding this but I don’t think they had exactly what I’m looking for”, writes Julia in her submission, in which she sends the photo of the pink, worm-like creature pictured below. “And if I see one more worm in my bathtub, I might actually move apartments. Well, that’s an exaggeration, but please help. First time this happened was right after a shower. Of course, it’s humid and the bathtub is the perfect breeding ground for many bugs, but this one showed up out of nowhere and it completely startled me. They’re very small, even smaller than my pinky finger, and look black in the photo but actually seem to have a translucent pink exterior and black interior? If that makes sense.”

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Posted in Caterpillars Leeches Segmented Worms Annelida

Black Worm-like Creature Could be Leech or Caterpillar

“Are these crane fly larvae, or horse-leeches?” asks Jonathan about the black, worm-like creature pictured below. “I’m in western NC. These guys are about a ¼-inch long. Closest I could find on my own research are the two stated above. Thank you for your time!” After doing some sleuthing of our own, we have always come to similar conclusions as Jonathan – this does resemble crane fly larvae somewhat (though this creature is a little darker than most crane fly larvae), and it does look like a horse leech (though not as slimy, but that could be due to drying out). In addition to these two creatures, we thought this looked like it could be a lugworm or a stick-resembling caterpillar such as the Geometer moth caterpillar.

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Posted in Earthworms

Clear Worm in Toilet is an Aquatic Earthworm

“I found this worm in my shower”, writes Diana about the thin, translucent worm in a toilet pictured below. “What is it? I have attached a photo and a short video. Thank you.” Upon zooming in on the photo, we can see that the worm is indeed a clear white color, with dark patches along its body, which we assume to be its entrails that are visible through its skin. There are many species of worms that resemble this one, and without much context, it is hard to pinpoint just one species. That said, the video Diana sent in is excellent, and very helpful – it shows us that the worm has to wriggle about to move, meaning it does not have legs.

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Posted in Earthworms Marine Worms Red Worms

Clear, Red Worm in Cat’s Water Dish is a Square-tailed Worm

“My mom found this worm in her cat’s water dish”, writes Jade in Atlanta, Georgia about the red, clear worm pictured below. “My mom said that it was not happy to be removed from the water/seemed like it belonged in water. We sent a photo to her vet and are waiting to hear back, but I am very curious what it is, even if it’s not a kitty parasite. Thanks so much! Attaching two photos and a video showing how it moves.” Firstly, we just want to thank Jade for the ample context and the excellent photo and video: they really help us narrow down the possible identifications for a given organism. Secondly, we have to say that, given that this was found in her cat’s water dish, we will not be able to give an identification that is 100% certain, given the possibility that it is related to the cat’s health – which Jade makes clear by affirming that she has consulted her vet. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified nor legally able to provide advice in these types of instances. Such advice includes making identifications. So, in the case that her vet decides that this worm is tied to her cat’s health, then Jade should disregard any of the information we give in this article.

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Posted in Leeches Parasite Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Worm Found in Koi Pond is a Leech

“What is this worm?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the little, brownish worm pictured below. “Found among algae in the backyard koi pond in northern Illinois. Travels by attaching (perhaps by suction) one end and feeling around with the other. Can stretch to well over 4 times its resting length. Seeks air if submerged. Appears to be slightly flat. Was discovered clinging to hand. Found today. No discernible segmentation.” The thing that caught our eye in the excellent photo our reader sent in is the flattish part at one end of its body, which we assume to be its head. This is likely the part that it uses to “attach” itself to things and move along using, as our reader stated, “suction”. Based on this, as well as its appearance, we are inclined to say that this is likely a leech.

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Posted in Earthworms Segmented Worms Annelida Worms Found in the House

Pink and Gray Worm Found in Urine May be Annelid

“Can you please identify the worm in this picture that is found in human urine?” is all this reader asks in his submission regarding the gray and pink worm pictured below. The worm is rather long, segmented, and has semi-transparent skin: at least, so we think. Our theory is that the pink part near the end of its body is a view into the inside of the worm. Based on the photo, we would think this is some type of annelid, though our identification should not be taken at face value. The reason for this is the lack of context of our reader’s situation: he does not specify if the worm came from someone’s body, and was then found in their urine, or if somebody peed, then looked in the toilet, and saw the worm there.