New Species of Creature Found With 56 Legs Who Hates the Light

Scientists from Brazil have published details of an exciting new discovery. They have found a new species of velvet worm amongst some grass roots in a rainforest in Brazil. The new creature has been named Epiperipatus puri and was found in RPPN Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu. This is part of the famous Atlantic Forest in the east of the country. This creature looks very like a small worm but it is covered with papillae which are tiny bumps giving its skin a rough texture. It is a dark reddish-brown color but has orange-brown diamond-shaped patterns along its length. This velvet worm also has 28 pairs of legs and is around 1.69 inches long. Whilst the males of the species have anal glands, the females do not.

What Exactly Are Velvet Worms?

Velvet worms belong to the phylum Onychophora and there are around 180 species. They look a little like caterpillars and can be anything from 0.2 inches up to nearly 6 inches. Some species live in South America but others live in South Africa, Australasia, Southeast Asia, and Central America. All of the currently known species are terrestrial and nocturnal. They like to live in dark, moist environments and so they are found amongst forest litter and soil. These worms also like to live in rotten logs and a few of the species live in caves. They typically lead a solitary life and become less active during dry periods.

What Do Velvet Worms Normally Eat?

Velvet worms are carnivores. They typically feed on small invertebrates including beetles and termites. Some of the larger species feed on snails and worms. They even pursue their prey into small spaces. These worms produce a powerful adhesive in their slime glands which open at the end of their bodies. Some of them can shoot this to trap prey. They then use their jaws to grasp and cut up the prey and inject it with salivary secretions. These begin to digest prey so that they can suck it up into their mouths!

Which Animals Prey on Velvet Worms?

A number of known predators hunt velvet worms. Some types of coral snakes and centipedes regard them as food. Some spiders also hunt them as do some species of thrush. As a group of animals, they are not currently threatened or in danger of extinction. However, the loss of habitat caused by the destruction of rainforests could present a risk to individual species. Some could even become extinct before we have discovered them.