Aug 18, 2009

Velvet Worm vs. Beetle

Watch this video of a velvet worm (great band name!) and be thankful that you aren't a diminutive arthropod.

Thanks for the video, Jelo.

7 comments:

Phoebe said...

Spider worm, spider worm, does whatever a...nevermind.

TriAnon said...

A not-entirely-perfect translation: "Epiperipatus biolleyi, a type of velvet worm, has more deadly shots. It's one of the most primitive invertebrates still alive, and its way of shooting is unique. Besides, it doesn't just use one gun, but two. Strings of glue are shot. These strings can reach a meter away. Their guns move from side to side in order to cover a larger surface area. These strings cover the prey in a sticky web, and immobilizes it. This sticky substance dries up in a matter of seconds. The worm subsequently pierces the exoskeleton of it's victim with mandibles that look like knives, and sucks up all of the insides."

Raging Wombat said...

AAA - the velvet worm might be the most monstrous, coolest predators out there. Frank Herbert sold worms short (ironically)!

Sir Anon the third said...

Yeah, they're pretty damn awesome. I want a few... although there are plenty of really cool predators/parasites out there.

I had to look up Frank Herbert to know who he was. Dune is a bit before my time :P

Raging Wombat said...

He was before my time too. I read him in my high school science fiction class, along with Heinlein, Clark, et al.

Whew...I thought I had dated myself there for a moment.

Tessa said...

I think Dune was before MANY people's times. However, that's no excuse to avoid literary classics, so I highly suggest hunting down a copy and reading it! Most of my very favourite books were written at least decades before I was born!

Angelo said...

This worm is way more awesome than Shai-Hulud. Arrakeen worms just well...ate stuff. These bad boys hose them down with crazy glue then close in for the kill.