HAMMER WORMS HAVE INVADED WASHINGTON DC YARDS

These toxic mucus-coated creatures have slithered to around 30 states

The giant predatory worms native to Southeast Asia have gone global in recent years - spreading to at least 30 states. Americans have been warned not to touch them if they see one in their backyard.

Hammerheads can be hermaphrodite or reproduce asexually depending on the variety.

Asexual species of the worm pinch off a small portion of their rear, which stays behind while the adult moves on.
Within about 10 days, a head begins to form on the small piece - this happens a few times a month.

Hermaphrodite hammerheads have both male and female organs and they reproduce by laying eggs which hatch into more worms.

The specimens paralyze their prey using tetrodotoxin, which is not found in any other species of worm - though it is also in the armory of other predators like the blue-ringed octopus and pufferfish.

Scientists have warned people not to touch the worms or cut them, which would cause them to multiply - making them essentially immortal.
The only way to kill the hammerheads, which love moist environments, is to cover them in alcohol, vinegar or salt and to freeze them before disposal.

Although the worms are toxic to people if ingested, their poison cannot penetrate human skin.

The mucus-covered land mollusks have also gone global, with scientists warning they are
'trying to take over the world' in 2020 research paper.

Their main concern is that the cannibalistic worms could multiply even more, disturbing the ecosystem established by their prey - earthworms - which create fertile conditions in the soil.

Since they mainly lurk underground or in dark, moist corners, the invasive flatworm has stumped wildlife officials in some states after residents reported seeing the bizarre 'snake' in their backyards.

In late 2020, a Virginia resident spotted what they believed was a bizarre 12-inch long 'snake' slithering around, sparking an investigation by the Virginia Wildlife Management Control.
'We identify thousands of snakes every year, but the problem is, we've never seen anything like it before and we're not sure if it's a freak of nature,
the group said at the time.

The creatures, which come in a variety of colors and patterns, have also been spotted in urbanized areas of Europe, where scientists stressed a need for further study on the under-researched worms in 2018.