They might not be as ferocious as the sandworms from Dune, but hammerhead worms are nothing to sneeze at themselves. They’re toxic. They can carry parasites. They can grow to over a foot long. If they’re cut in half, both halves regenerate. And they’re invading Texas.
Well, strictly speaking, they already invaded Texas. News of the presence and continual re-emergence of this invasive species has been circling for some time, but the recent heavy rains of Hurricane Beryl have brought upsettingly large numbers of these worms—which thrive in wet, tropical climates—to the surface.
Hammerhead worms are a part of the phylum Platyhelminthes, which includes all flatworms. This genealogical membership gives them the ability to become two different, genetically identical flatworms if they are cut in half—a process that can actually be initiated by the flatworm as a form of asexual reproduction. The worm will break a part of itself off that will then grow into a genetic clone of the parent worm.
That’s very strange to think about, but it’s not the reason experts are warning people about hammerhead worms emerging in their backyards. The caution is twofold: the worms are invasive, and they are toxic.
Now, they are not the kind of toxic that will kill a human. Some species of hammerhead worms produce a type of neurotoxin called tetrofotoxin to hunt creatures such as earthworms. They will paralyze a worm with the neurotoxin (found in the mucus secreted by their skin) and clamp on, digesting whatever unlucky part happened to be most accessible.
Read more at AOL.com
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