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Peripatus sp. Velvet Worm

Discussion in 'Invertebrate Pet Talk' started by Enn49, Nov 2, 2018.

  1. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    My son has just ordered one and I wondered if anyone had any experience of them. It's all well and good reading about them on the web but experience is always best
    Enn49, Nov 2, 2018
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  2. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    Anyone?
    Enn49, Nov 3, 2018
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  3. Tortoise Tom

    Tortoise Tom Well-Known Member

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    Not me.
    Tortoise Tom, Nov 3, 2018
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  4. Rs50matt

    Rs50matt Well-Known Member

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    I noticed spidershop have velvetworms for sale. I'm guessing thats where he's getting them from? I'm sure I saw a velvet worm on Brave wilderness and he said they were rare in the wild so I don't think too much is know about them.
    Rs50matt, Nov 4, 2018
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  5. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    Yes, it's coming from TSS.
    All I can find are articles about conservation. I know they like damp conditions and rotting wood (he's found some in a hedge bottom), they will eat small crickets and live around 5 years.
    Enn49, Nov 4, 2018
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  6. Dave Jay

    Dave Jay Well-Known Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    They look cool. I find it strange that it's a New Zealand species for sale though.
    Dave Jay, Nov 4, 2018
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  7. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    The little Velvet Worm has arrived. It's around 1.5" and seems pretty active.
    DSCF7803 (2).JPG
    Enn49, Nov 7, 2018
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  8. Tortoise Tom

    Tortoise Tom Well-Known Member

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    Looks like a sea slug.

    What do they eat?
    Tortoise Tom, Nov 7, 2018
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  9. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    They do :).
    They apparently eat small insects so tiny crickets..
    Enn49, Nov 7, 2018
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  10. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    Well this little creature has me intrigued. My son rehoused it today into a slightly larger container (a 4" cube) it is currently waving a ball of something white which we presume is a cricket that it had already caught and disabled and is now eating.
    Apparently they eject streams of a substance which hardens around the still live insect to disable it before sucking the food out.

    DSCF7841.JPG

    DSCF7842 (2).JPG
    Enn49, Nov 10, 2018
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  11. Dave Jay

    Dave Jay Well-Known Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    They are pretty amazing, I watched a few videos on them when you first mentioned your son was getting one. They shoot sticky stuff that looks like crazy string.
    Dave Jay, Nov 10, 2018
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  12. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    Yes, I've not seen it do that yet. I'm just pleased my son hasn't taken it upstairs yet as it gives me chance to watch it.
    Enn49, Nov 11, 2018
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  13. Tortoise Tom

    Tortoise Tom Well-Known Member

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    I read the internet info on these guys. Yeah. I'm pretty sure aliens left them here on earth...
    Tortoise Tom, Nov 11, 2018
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  14. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    They are certainly oddities that have survived 520 million years.
    Enn49, Nov 11, 2018
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  15. Tortoise Tom

    Tortoise Tom Well-Known Member

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    Have you seen it shoot out its sploochy mouth slime stuff to catch prey yet?

    Everything about them is just so biologically different than any other species I can think of. I've never seen these for sale here. I wonder if we have them here or if they are legal or not. I'd love to try one out and see what they are like.
    Tortoise Tom, Nov 11, 2018
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  16. Dave Jay

    Dave Jay Well-Known Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    tardigrade-001.jpg I agree, they were dropped off along with the tartigrades!
    These look cool too but you'd need a microscope to watch them. I have thought that if I get a digital microscope and camera I might search for these, they live in water that sits on moss and are about 1mm long. I watched a documentary on a guy who made it his (later) lives work to study them. They have proven that they can survive in space and could have come on/in a meteor.
    Dave Jay, Nov 11, 2018
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  17. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    No I haven't seen it shoot it out yet, love that word sploochy :D


    That looks as though someone has made it out of a piece of material and not stuffed it properly :D
    Enn49, Nov 12, 2018
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  18. Enn49

    Enn49 Moderator Staff Member Premium Member 3 Year Member 1,000+ Post Club

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    Well, the little Worm has been here 10 days and has certainly fascinated us. It has burrowed a little but seems to prefer to chill on the top of its moss. We spray it at least once a day which Worm seems to really enjoy. Generally the movements are quite slow but it can move fast when it wants to although shows no fear of us humans. It seems to eat well, it's fed 2 tiny crickets every couple of days. A very interesting pet :)

    Just after spraying
    DSCF7922 (3).JPG
    Enn49, Nov 17, 2018
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