Velvet Worms: Onychophora - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, No Common Name (epiperipatus Biolleyi): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, VELVET WORMS AND PEOPLE
africa studied tropical
Velvet worms are found in Mexico, Central America, Chile, tropical West Africa, South Africa, southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand.
All velvet worms live in leaf litter, under stones or logs, or in soil in moist and humid habitats, such as tropical and subtropical forests.
Velvet worms are carnivores (KAR-nih-vorz), or meat eaters, and eat mainly insects, spiders, other arthropods, and snails.
Velvet worms are particularly valuable research animals. Their distributions are studied to help track the movements of continents over millions of years. Their sticky slime is also being studied as a possible glue for special kinds of surgery.
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Velvet worms have bilateral symmetry (bye-LAT-er-uhl SIH-muh-tree) and can only be divided into similar halves along one plane. They resemble caterpillars and have long, soft, and flexible bodies. Adults measure from 0.5 to 8 inches (13 to 203 millimeters) long. Most range in color from black to blue, red, brown, or gray. Some species are striped or have beautiful patterns. Their skin, or exoskele…
As with arthropods, which include insects, spiders, and their relatives, velvet worms must molt, or shed their exoskeleton, in order to grow. These secretive animals capture prey with threads of clear, sticky slime shot from the oral papillae. The slime is also used to discourage predators and can be squirted up to 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) in distance. During the dry season, or periods of low tempera…
Physical characteristics: Epiperipatus biolleyi adults measure up to 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 52 millimeters) in length and are rusty brown or pinkish with dark papillae and a stripe along the back. Antennae and legs are gray. Females have 30 pairs of legs, while males have 26 to 28. Geographic range: They are found in Costa Rica. Habitat: Epiperipatus biolleyi (abbreviated as E. biolleyi) live in l…
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