Jul 13, 2016
Today I added a non-arthropod invertebrate to my collection; Peripatoides sp.! Velvet worms belong to the phylum Onychophora, meaning 'claw-bearers', in reference to their chitinous, retractable claws. Along with tardigrades and arthropods, they form a superphylum called Panarthropoda; arthropods and their close kin. These marvellous animals subdue arthropod prey by ejecting a dual-stream of slime from glands on either side of their mouth with hardens upon exposure to the air - allowing the onycophoran to eat at its leisure #peripatoides #peripatus #peripatidae #peripatosidae #euonychophora #onychophora #onychophoran #velvetworm #velvet #worm #invertebrate