They threaten agriculture

Worms of the genus Bipalium, which were previously almost never found in Europe, now live in France in large numbers. It is assumed that the "invasion" began a long time ago, but only now a group of scientists led by Jean-Loup Justine from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris paid attention to this.

Bipalium predatory worms sometimes reach more than half a meter in length and are distinguished by an unusual "shovel-shaped" head. They feed on earthworms as well as insects, snails and other small prey, paralyzing them with a toxin called tetrodotoxin. Although this poison is also dangerous for humans, mainly these predators threaten the well-being of people not directly, but indirectly. They significantly affect the composition of the fauna that inhabits the soil, thereby having a negative impact on agriculture - this has previously happened, including in Ireland and Scotland, where such worms came from New Zealand.

At the same time, it is still a mystery to specialists how the worms got to France. At the same time, Jean-Loup Justine is especially surprised that for a long time this was not noticed by government departments, which are responsible for monitoring the ecology of soils. The French scientist himself learned about the “invasion” of Bipalium after a picture of this worm was sent to him by an amateur naturalist who discovered the animal in his own garden. After that, Justine and his colleagues asked people from all over the country to tell him if they had seen similar worms. The scientist's fellow citizens responded to his request and sent many photographs. As it turned out, Bipalium began to spread throughout France back in the 90s of the last century, and they can most often be seen in the southern part of the country. To the question of whether this has significantly affected agriculture at this point, experts are not yet ready to answer.

animal like a predatory desert worm that spits venom. And at the same time, it beats with current and eats whole victims poisoned and freshly fried by it - so that even no bones remain. Don't believe? But in vain. Because if you suddenly go to Mongolia, spend the night in some kind of yurt and go out at night to take a walk on business, then there is a certain probability that you will not return back. And not because you get lost (although, to be honest, this probability is greater) - but because HE will devour you. That is,

A ravenous desert worm that spits venom, killing from a distance - or electrocuting its prey on contact. In its appearance, it most of all resembles the insides of an animal. On his body it is impossible to distinguish neither the head nor the eyes. In the local dialect, it is called "horror of the desert", "dazzling nightmare", "underground death", "toothy colon". And even more often they just swear. But not very loudly, as the predatory desert worm does not like it when people swear.

In fact, he just loves it. In the sense that he is oriented in space and recognizes the location of the victim just by the sounds made. And as the experiments of the Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto on determining the vibrations of various words showed, mats have slightly different harmonics compared to the word, for example, "thank you" - which, in fact, attract "underground death". So, out of two people, a predatory desert worm spits poison first at the tourist who swore. And then he finishes off his neighbor with an electric discharge. And, as already mentioned, it eats its victims completely - so that not a single piece remains. And then, full and satisfied, he returns to his underground lair (in the very center of the Gobi Desert).

By the way, not a single person has yet been able to see a predatory desert worm that spits poison. First of all, because the desert worm does not leave witnesses - and even the remains of dead curious people. Whereas the latter are simply listed as missing. It is also interesting that it is the males who hunt down and kill the prey. The females, on the other hand, wrap themselves around the victims and drink blood from them, like giant leeches. And what remains is eaten up by the males.

So, the predatory desert worm chooses its prey for the sound. This predator is also very good at orienting itself to the vibration of the soil. Think for yourself - a variety of saigas (the usual food of desert worms when there are no tourists nearby) do not swear. And they gallop through the desert at a brisk gallop. It is this sound that lures the worms.

Therefore - if you visit Mongolia - you will see that the surviving Red Book saigas move exclusively on tiptoe, trying to make as little noise as possible. A rare and educational sight. That's the power of evolution. Well, since there were very few saigas, the "horror of the desert" switched to feeding on people.

But, no matter what it seems, people are smarter than saigas. And you will never hear the locals swearing in the desert. Or they stomp loudly. Or laugh. Why? Correctly. They fear that a "blinding nightmare" is circling somewhere nearby. Which, in fact, took counter-measures - and found a new benchmark for choosing a victim (after all, tourists in the Gobi desert are still a rarity).

This landmark is the smell of human feces. Reliable guide. Usually this smell always implies being near a person. Even if a person is silent and does not move, it is still clear what he is doing there. After all - if you remember - the Mongols still lead a nomadic lifestyle, live in yurts. And in the yurt, as you understand, there is no sewage system. So you have to go to the toilet outside. And there - "toothy colon", which darts around and sniffs out fresh.

Therefore, if the locals offer you to pile a bunch in a bag and always carry it with you, do not be surprised. This is not bullying. This is a common fecal bomb to divert the attention of predatory desert worms. And even better, when leaving for Mongolia, make some stock of such bags in advance. Just in case. And that's not enough.

Thus, a predatory desert worm that spits poison and beats with current is no joke to you. But careful preparation will make the attack of the worm less dangerous.

Eunice aphrodite (Eunice aphroditois), also known by such names as the Purple Australian worm, or the Bobitta worm, never ceases to terrify marine life. This sea monster, belonging to polychaete worms, has chosen the warm tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The found fossilized remains of these polychaetes speak of a more than venerable age of these polychaetes - about 485 - 443 million years. Let's get to know this legendary predator closer.

Bobbit Worm Appearance

This ringed worm, with a thickness of only 2.5 centimeters, can grow up to three meters. Coloration can vary from red-gold to dark brown or purple.

One of the three-meter specimens discovered by scientists from Japan was 299 centimeters long, weighed 433 grams and had six hundred and seventy-three segments.

Habitat

As mentioned above, the habitat of this polychaete is the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, it is especially widespread in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The purple Australian worm is a bottom-dwelling worm, preferring depths of six to forty meters, choosing coral slopes and shallow lagoons.

Lifestyle

The Bobitta worm is a merciless predator. Sitting in his “shelter” in the sea silt, just sticking his head with a powerful jaw above the surface, he watches for a calmly swimming and unsuspecting victim. Eunice aphrodite attacks with lightning speed the marine life passing by: fish, crustaceans, cephalopods. During the hunt, this tyrannosaurus of the underwater world protrudes from its mink by 20-30 centimeters.

To detect prey, nature provided this nocturnal predator with chitinous antennae (antennas), and for a strong grip and easy cutting of the prey, powerful chitinous jaws. Capturing a resisting prey, the Purple Australian Worm drags it into its lair, where it cuts the flesh into pieces and consumes it. Some scientists believe that the Bobitt worm can go without food for about a year.

Development and reproduction

Very little is known about the life cycle and reproduction of this polychaete worm. It is known that Eunice aphrodite grows quite quickly.

Some scientists involved in the study of the purple worm believe that large sexually mature individuals are capable of attacking a person, therefore, when meeting with such “instances”, you should not “flirt” with them.

Inquisitive oceanologists tirelessly try to cognize that huge mysterious world, into which even sunlight does not penetrate, which, contrary to the previously prevailing opinion about emptiness, never ceases to amaze with the diversity of living beings. One of these amazing creatures is a three-meter killer worm that lives at the bottom of the oceans.

In the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans at a depth of 10-40 m, you can find the purple Australian worm, it is also known to science under the Latin name Eunice aphroditois. Another of his names comes from the English verb to bobbit (“shred”, “cut”).

This predatory polychaete worm reaches a length of 3 meters, while remaining quite thin, the thickness of the creation along the entire length does not exceed 2.5 centimeters.

The purple worm leads an exclusively predatory lifestyle. Its entire body is hidden in sea silt, only its head occasionally rises above the surface in search of prey. The worm searches for a victim with the help of chitinous antennae, and uses its powerful chitinous jaws to capture. The basis of the diet is fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other marine life.

How the killer worm hunts (video):

Hunt predator at night. Rare cases are described when worms accidentally got into large aquariums and caused damage to the fauna for a long time, remaining unnoticed. One of the most famous is the case in 2009 at the British Blue Reef Aquarium. The uninvited guest could be discovered only after a rather long inexplicable death of ra and corals.

How to catch a bobbit worm (video):

Aphrodite spends most of Eunice's time under the surface of the sand on coral slopes and shallow lagoons. Hunts at night, rests during the day. During the hunt, the worm protrudes from the sand by 20-30 centimeters, and can completely leave the den. At the same time, having captured the prey, he immediately drags it into his hole under the surface of the sand. Often the objects of hunting are more massive than the predator itself, but few manage to escape.

Our hero periodically becomes a headache for aquarists. While purchasing coral, algae and fish for their impressive marine aquariums, they often overlook a tiny worm that has uninvitedly settled in with new acquisitions. And for a long time they do not suspect what an amazing creature they received completely free of charge - after all, the worm goes hunting only at night. But it grows very fast - and in two years reaches a length of 7 feet - more than two meters. And the traces of his night walks can no longer be invisible. Dead fish, damaged corals. And a mysterious killer who can hide in aquarium pipes during the day.

In English, our worm has been given the familiar name "Bobbit Worm - Bobbit Worm", this name reflects its reputation as a ruthless predator with sharply sharpened murder weapons.

We dived in the famous Secret Cove in Anilao (Batangas Province) in the Philippines. At a depth of only 6 meters, the guide showed me with a sign to turn off my bright lantern. Switching to the red focusing light, I swam closer to our new friend, was able to get a good look at him and take a few photos. Bobbit was completely calm about red light, and did not hide in a hole even after a flash. The mother-of-pearl sheen on the curves of his body, similar to a corrugated hose, attracts attention.

Having completed the photo session, I regretted that we didn’t have some tasty treats for Bobbit with us - fish or shrimp. He was so calmly photographed - and it would be interesting to try to capture the moment of throwing for prey. However, later I watched the videos, which filmed the moments of the attack of our terminator worm on a scorpionfish and an octopus. And I realized that I would have to make a lot of attempts to film the very moment of the attack - it is so lightning fast.