Tag: flatworms
Long Gray Worm with Black Stripe is a New Guinea Flatworm
“What is this?” asks Cyndi in her submission regarding the long, black worm with a gray striped down its back pictured below. “It’s fascinating! I found it crawling on my window and along the window sill. It lifts its head moving forward. It almost appears to have eyes. It only moves forward (front is left to right). I appreciate the help!” Based on the fantastic photo Cyndi sent us, we think she has found a New Guinea flatworm. As their name suggests, this species of flatworm is endemic to New Guinea (the island off the coast of Australia), and is considered an invasive species in other countries. Besides concerns about how their presence will disrupt the biodiversity in the habitats they are introduced to, New Guinea flatworms do not pose much of a threat to humans, despite popular anti-flatworm rhetoric.
Long Worms Climbing Walls are Flatworms
“I keep finding these worms in my bathroom,” writes Chase in his submission regarding the long, thin worm pictured below. “First two times I was in the shower, then by my sink. I see them only on the walls. What are they? I am in Arizona.” The photo is somewhat blurry, so we cannot make out the finer details of the worm’s physical characteristics, but based on what we can see, as well as the fact that it is climbing Chase’s walls, we think this could be a flatworm. Generally speaking, flatworms are predatory creatures. We say generally speaking because there are thousands upon thousands of flatworms species and a good portion of those are parasites. Not to worry, most flatworm parasites cannot survive outside the body of a host, so when someone finds a flatworm in the wild, 99% of the time they will be a predator.
Predatory Flatworms Not Much of Danger to People Despite Scary Clickbait Articles
It seems to us that almost every summer, the flatworm becomes the target of news stations who want to spread mass hysteria and inject fear into the hearts of those who might not know any better than to trust the words of journalists twisting the words of experts. We’re here to set the record straight and clear the name of flatworms. This year, hammerheads are being targeted. They have been targeted in the past, but so has the New Guinea flatworm. In this article we will be responding to a “ CBS article on hammerheads” published by Li Cohen.
Brown Worm on Cat Could be Flatworm
“I pulled this off my cat”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the brown, slimy-looking, worm-like creature pictured below. “Can you identify it?” For starters, we will say that, while we will provide an identification, it should not be taken as 100% accurate or certain. The primary reason for this is because our reader pulled it off our cat. Any worms that are found on or inside people or pets pose a potential medical situation. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify organisms that directly affect the health of people or pets. In this case, it is not clear whether or not the worm is affecting the cat’s health: people and pets accidentally get worms on them all the time, just from going outdoors. For that reason, we err on the side of caution. If our reader suspects that this worm may have come from her cat, or that it is in any way negatively affecting her cat’s health, she should consult a vet about it and disregard our identification below.
Long Beige Worm on Shower Window is a Flatworm
“This worm was crawling up my shower window”, writes PG in her submission regarding the beige-colored, worm-like critter pictured below. “I think it resembles the invasive hammerhead flatworm but does not have the crescent moon-shaped head. Do you know what type of worm it was? I’m located in southeast Texas.” From the photo, we cannot determine a specific identification, though we agree with PG that it could be a flatworm, as there are species of flatworms with this coloration. We do not agree that it is a hammerhead, for the very reason that PG gives: it does not have the eponymous hammerhead.
“Shape-shifting” White Critter Could be a Baby Slug
“Found on my desk when my cat jumped down”, writes Beverly about the “shape shifting”, white organism pictured below. “Approximately 1/2 an inch when elongated. I tried to kill it with insect repellent – no effect. Put it on a tray to photograph. It made the shape of a round blob, then a flattened square, a triangle next, before finally reaching out from the blob when changing directions, from no set point.” Beverly sent us multiple photographs, a couple of which we have included below that show these different shapes the organism makes. Now, provided this creature is worm-like, it would be flexible enough to contort its body in many different ways, which is a more plausible explanation than shape-shifting. Many worm-like organisms, such as the earthworm, can flex and relax the muscles in their body, which will extend and shorten their bodies, which can look as if the worm is changing shape. Likewise, slugs are able to do the same; when they feel threatened, they can effectively withdraw their head and antennae into their bodies and become a “blob” where before they were an elongated shape.
Yellow, “Boxy” Snake-like Creature is a Flatworm
“What is this yellow, boxy, stretchy, little snake-like thing?” asks Catherine in her submission regarding the organism pictured below. “I found it hanging from the dashboard of my truck in Seattle. At first I thought it was a rubber band, but on closer inspection I came to realize it had a sort of mouth looking opening on the end and was spotted with specks. It is unlike anything I had seen before. It has no bones, so not a snake. It lost the yellow color it had while submerged in water. Found in Seattle, Washington. Thank you.” To start with, we thank Catherine for the photo she sent in: you can really see the “boxy” nature of the creature’s body, by which we think Catherine means that it seems to be somewhat flat, giving it a clear underside and topside, unlike most worms.
Slimy Dark Green Worm in Toilet is a Flatworm
“This was in my toilet, not seen until after I went to the bathroom”, writes Ginger in her submission regarding the dark green worm pictured below. “I’m concerned whether it’s a human worm or parasite? Or was it lurking in the toilet unnoticed before I used the toilet?” Now, there are a plethora of worms and worm-like organisms that can come up through people’s toilets. The reason for this is usually because there is a leak somewhere underground in the piping through which the worms enter. Ginger will be able to notice that there is a leak if she notices one of many of the following signs: discolored water, foul-smelling or -tasting water, and inconsistencies in water pressure and temperature.
Brown Worm in Cat’s Water Bowl Might be a Millipede
“Is the attached a flatworm of some kind?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the brown, worm-like critter pictured below. “It appeared randomly in our cat’s water bowl. We live on the Isles of Scilly. Many thanks.” In case our other readers are not aware, the Isles of Scilly are an archipelago off the coast of England. Now, with regard to the worm that our reader found, it is hard to say from the photo and context if this is a flatworm. The photo is, unfortunately, pretty blurry, and there are not any obvious reasons we can think of for a flatworm climbing into a cat bowl.
White, Fuzzy Worm by Toilet Could be a Flatworm
“Can you tell me if this is a worm?” asks this reader about the fuzzy, white, worm-shaped creature pictured below. “If so, what kind is it? I found one of them on the floor beside the toilet in my bathroom, and it seemed to be moving a little so I sprayed it with bleach. It was about one-and-a-half inches long. The others were in the toilet and all but one (which was probably about 3 inches long) were the same size. Also there was this little funny looking brown thing too in the toilet, and it was about a quarter inch long. I’m in Sumrall, Mississippi.”
Worms in Kitchen and Garage are Hammerhead Worms
“I found this critter in my kitchen last night”, writes this reader about the worm-like creature pictured below. “I live in Phoenix, AZ, where it is very hot and dry (usually about 115 in the summers) – low desert. We had a big rainstorm come through over the weekend and I’ve started finding worker/swarmer termites since the storm on the first and second floors (not sure if that’s related, so I wanted to include it). I have a good amount of houseplants, two of which are new. They were in my garage yesterday and the night before and I brought them in last night after treating them with a systemic insecticide and letting the soil dry out after watering through. They were brought in about a half hour before I saw the critter, and they were kept separate in another room about six feet from where I found this guy. (Again, not sure if related and wanted to mention it.) The critter has two clear antennae (pincers? snail-like eyes?) that are barely visible in the video. It’s a brownish color on top with a light/clearish underside. It appears to be mildly “fuzzy”, not sure if those are hairs or legs or something else. I’d appreciate any insight you can provide.”
Long, Brown Worms Could be Horsehair Worms or Flatworms
“Are these guys horsehair worms?” asks this reader about the two long, brown worms pictured below. “Picture was hard to get but I did manage to catch two in one picture. I live in Northern Alabama.” It would have been great to receive more context in this instance, as the photos he sent in are slightly blurry. We understand, of course, that it was hard for him to capture the photo, which tells us the worms might have been moving pretty fast. Horsehair worms are typically found on land after having just burst out of their host insect (as they are parasites which develop inside insects), while they look for a mate. So, if these were horsehair worms, it is possible that they are about to mate.
White Worm-like Creatures on Couch Could be Pupae or Clumps of Debris
“What is it?” asks Gary about the strange, white organism pictured below. “Found these two little guys on my couch after I spent the night sleeping on it.” To start with, we just want to commend Gary on the excellent photo: it’s crisp and clear, and the lighting is good too. Usually, that makes it easier for us to identify the organisms we are asked about, but it seems that in this case, it shows us in greater detail that we have no idea what we are looking at. The closest thing it resembles are planarian parasites, which are parasitic flatworms.
‘Hammerhead Worm-looking’ Creatures in Tub Could be Immature Aquatic Worms
“These tiny worms have been found in the bathtub of our new house after showering”, writes Lucy about the worm-like critter pictured below. “A few at a time, we picked it up with a tissue and put it in the toilet so you could see it move. Please help!” Based on the photo alone, which actually captures the worm in good detail, we would say this looks like a hammerhead worm. However, when we take Lucy’s context into account, we begin to wonder what it could actually be. It is odd (but not impossible) that these hammerhead worms were found in a bathtub; hammerhead worms are terrestrial worms, meaning they live on land, and would not survive underwater like other species of flatworms.
Little, Black, Slimy Worms Found on Lawn Could be Flatworms
“I found these worms in Ohio last night”, states Annakah in her submission regarding the slimy-looking, black worm-like creatures pictured below. “They’re about 1-2 inches long. The surrounding habitat is mostly maple-dominated forest with moss growing side by side with the grass in the lawn. They apparently had climbed 10-15 feet up a house to get where they are pictured. Do you know what they are?” Based on the photo alone, we would say these look like little flatworms, though it is difficult to tell given the low resolution of the image, and how small they are. That said, the moist environment and the size of the creatures would add up with this conclusion.
Tiny, Black Worm is a Flatworm
“What kind of worm is this?” is all this reader writes in his submission. Fortunately, our reader did send in more than one photo, which does provide some context so far as a photo of a worm is able to. But it is actually this second photo, which sees the worm flipped on its back, that tells us the identity of this worm. Now, for a worm to even have a backside, it needs to have a body which is not tubular like an earthworm’s. And when the underside is a different color than the top, this tells us one more thing: this is probably a flatworm.
Dark Green Worm Found on Dog is a Flatworm
“I found this worm on the abdomen of my short haired dog”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the dark green worm-like critter pictured below. “The vet had no idea. The dog was born in South Carolina but has lived six years in western NY, including time spent in one of the finger lakes.” To start with, we want to compliment our reader on the fantastic photo she took, and thank her for it, as it really helps us narrow down what the organism could be. The photo shows a long stripe running down the middle of the worm’s body, and also shows what looks like a bulbous, black head. Additionally, it looks almost as if the worm is more flat than round in shape.
Dried Up Worms Found in Basement Could be Flatworms
“On the foundation wall, where there is a hole for an electrical conduit going outside, I found these dried up worms”, states this reader in his submission regarding the multitude of black worm-like creatures pictured below. “I live in Seattle. Our basement furnace room is dry and warm. This hole is below ground level. Any idea what they are? Thanks!” Upon zooming in on this fantastic photo, it looks like the worms have two distinct sides, an upper and lower side, both of which are different colors, the top side being black and bottom side being a beige-ish color.
Long, Brown Worm in Toilet is a Flatworm
“I found this worm wriggling in my clean toilet bowl”, states this reader about the darkly-colored organism pictured below. “It is about 6-inches long, brown, with thin rounded ends, but appears to have a flat body. What is it, please?” The photo she provides does not lend us much detail: when zooming in, the organism becomes merely blurry, which speaks to the low resolution of the photo. That always makes it harder to identify an organism, as its physical characteristics are the number one giveaway for its species. That said, based on the description our reader gave us, we would conclude that this is some type of flatworm.
Thin, Yellow Worm Could be a Canary Worm
“Can you tell me what kind of worm this is?” is all this reader asks in her submission regarding the long, yellow worm-like creature pictured below. Without any context as to the location it was discovered and to the concerns our reader might have with its discovery, it becomes very difficult to identify the organisms unless they are ones we commonly see and can identify solely by sight. Unfortunately, this is not a worm we have seen before (as far as we know), and so we will not be able to give a concrete identification. That said, we can still provide some educated guesses.