A reader wrote to us a while back about a long brown worm with black stripes that she found in a decaying stump. Fortunately, she sent us an excellent photo of the brown worm, which we were quickly able to identify as a hammerhead worm (sometimes understandably, but incorrectly, spelled “hammer head worm”). The reader was merely wondering what the long brown worm was, so we’ve technically already answered her question, but if we stopped writing now, we wouldn’t have a very satisfying article to read. So, below we supply some information about hammerhead worms, which includes the reader’s excellent picture.

“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.

“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.”

“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.

“Is this a hammerhead worm!?” asks this reader in her submission about the gray, slimy-looking worm-like creature pictured below. We actually cannot tell if it is one or two organisms, though we suppose it does not matter much. “I was horrified to find it in my toilet! Thanks.” We understand how our reader feels, as it is never a pleasant experience to find uninvited guests in one’s home, let alone in one’s toilet. And to confirm: yes, this is a hammerhead worm. Our reader may already be familiar with hammerhead worms, as she correctly identified this one, but in case she is not, the basic facts include: Hammerhead worms are predatory worms, though they are not significantly harmful to humans or pets (unless one keeps insects or snails for pests). They feed on insect larvae, snails, slugs, and other hammerhead worms. They are excellent trackers and possess amazing capabilities, such as the ability to regenerate severed body parts and to liquefy their prey.

“I observed hammerhead flatworms on our patio and in our rock garden yesterday in Nolensville, TN”, states this reader in her submission to us. She asks that we give her some tips as to how to “evict them”.

“Have you ever seen one of these?” asks this reader in Florida about the gray worm pictured below. “It was quickly decomposing and it had goo outside that was melting away”, he adds.

“On the carport we found a dead worm: thinking it may be a hammerhead??!” exclaims this reader in her submission, which is unfortunately not accompanied by a photo of the worm she is referring to. The worm was found when our reader was vacationing in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

“I keep finding what looks to be small worms” states this reader, who is worried about the organisms in the photos below. In her submission, our reader brings up bed bugs, flatworms, and roundworms, so we will address all of these in this article.

“What the heck is this?” asks this reader about the brown, striped organism pictured below. “It’s easily 10-to-12-inches long, and found in Greenville, South Carolina.”

“Is this a hammerhead flatworm?” asks this reader for her friend in Southeast Texas. She is asking about the long, thin worm below, which is brown, with lighter brown stripes running the length of its body.

“What’s your advice about disposing of dead worms?” asks this reader in her query concerning the discovery of “flatheads” on her enclosed patio. She asks specifically if a “flathead worm” can “come back to life or reproduce” after it has dried out or died “on the cement”.

“I’m seeing these worms daily in my house,” says this reader about the creatures with “flat” bodies of around 2-2.6-inches and “thicker head[s]”. Our reader is growing uncomfortable as she fears the worms may enter her body and she asks for any suggestions we can provide as to how to prevent their entry into her home.

“I found a dead, black hammerhead worm in a shiny, clear substance in my garage. Does this worm secrete this substance?” asks this reader in her query. The photo she sent us displays a long, thin worm lying in a pool of the aforementioned shiny substance.

“My neighbor found this worm attached to her dog, wrapped around its leg,” says this reader about the creature displayed below. The worm is very long, black in color (with a gray underside), and appears to be a flattened, rather than tubular, shape.

Two hammerhead worms were found on this reader’s patio in Oak Ridge, Tennessee within the span of two years. The first one is very long and black in color, while the second one is shorter, with a beige-brown body.

France, like many other regions in the world, only recently discovered the presence of flatworms in their country. They, like most other countries, are concerned about the presence of this invasive species and what it means for the survival of their existing wildlife.

The hammerhead worm is a creature that fascinates many, mainly for its bizarre appearance. However, it seems as though little is known about these worms by the general public, and so this article will investigate just exactly what hammerhead worms are and how we should respond to them.

Several worms of different shapes and sizes were pulled out from a water feature in San Diego by this reader who is having trouble identifying them. The worms appear to be clear and tan in color, long in length, but flat in girth. It is difficult to tell from the image if they are textured, or smooth/slimy, but given their transparency, we would place more bets on these worms being slimy to the touch.

We recently received a question from a reader about whether or not it is possible to fish with hammerhead worms. The reader didn’t actually ask about hammerhead worms specifically, but she sent us a picture of what we are basically certain is a hammerhead worm, and then asked if she can fish with it. We’ll first provide some basic information about these creatures, and then we’ll move on to the more specific topic of fishing with hammerhead worms.