# Any Worm Experts Out There? I Need an I.D. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809 "2004-10-06T04:37:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/1 "2004-10-06T04:37:23Z")
I’ve lived in Austin, TX for 18 years, and have been used to seeing dozens of earthworms out on my patio and sidewalk after a big rain. But this year, whenever it’s rained, I’ve seen a very different batch of worms. Much longer and skinnier than earthworms, and not segmented. What’s more, they have the shovel-shaped heads that I associate with planaria… but I don’t THINK these worms are planaria. (I could be wrong- set me straight if I am.) Oddly enough, unlike earthworms, these guys seem to have the ability to climb up walls a short way, and a few have even managed to get inside my house. Any idea what these worms are? And are they driving out the old earthworms? (I ask because I’m definitely seeing far fewer earthworms.) ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/2 "2004-10-06T04:53:05Z")
Have you seen “Tremors”? What you’ve got are the baby form… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/3 "2004-10-06T07:40:32Z")
I’m tempted to suggest [New Zealand Flatworms](http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/gardenerscorner/summary/images/new_zealand_flatworm.jpg), but I don’t know if these have been accidentally introduced to your area. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/4 "2004-10-06T13:01:13Z")
It could be the newly-discovered species of [Terrestrial Leech](http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m100404c.htm). They live on land, & don’t suck blood. They have a “head structure” rather like the one you describe. ---
**Author:** ![rpinrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@rpinrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rpinrd)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/5 "2004-10-06T18:12:53Z")
I’m no help on the ID, but I can at least back you up **astorian** , I saw one of those shovel-headed oddballs in Dallas a few days ago. It was very small, maybe 2 inches long and very thin, like a piece of string (thinner than yarn, thicker than thread). It sounds like the creature in **Bosda’s** link is much bigger. It didn’t look anything like **Mangetout’s** link. It looked like a regular, small worm with a stepped-on head ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/6 "2004-10-06T19:07:22Z")
They are land planarians – flat worms. They eat earthworms. They are covered with a sticky slime. I hate them. [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land\_planarians.htm](http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-worm-experts-out-there-i-need-an-i-d/267809/7 "2004-10-07T03:21:00Z")
> [@shelbo](#): > > They are land planarians – flat worms. They eat earthworms. They are covered with a sticky slime. I hate them. > > [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land\_planarians.htm](http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm) My worms look sort of like the second picture in the link you provide, but not quite… I suppose there must be a wide variety of land planarians, though.