That^ is not a worm. It’s an amphibian.
Known as caecilians (pronounced seh-SILL-yens), these critters are unfamiliar to most people, and are also an excellent example of evolution trying to create ANOTHER worm (move over, crabs, worms are the REAL final form of evolution 😉).
These guys have SO MANY SPOOKY TRAITS! There’s slime, there’s scary teeth, and there’s even cannibalistic babies!
But let’s start with some decidedly un-spooky information. There are approximately 200 species of caecilians, all in the Order Gymnophiona, and all live in tropical and sub-tropical habitats around the world. That said, people don’t see them very often, because they spend most of their time hiding underground or in other seldom-seen locations. They range in size from ~9 cm to 1.5 m, and honestly, I like them so much.
(Handsome baby! from Stuart et al. 2008)
Reportedly, their smooth, slimey skin makes them extremely hard to catch, and researchers have compared handling them to trying to handle a wet bar of soap (sources 1, 2).
(the most slippy boi in the whole world probably <3)
Even though the word caecilians means “the blind ones”, they’re not actually blind (source x); they can differentiate light and dark, which COUNTS as sight (although if we’re defining blindness by “legal” blindness in humans, then… yeah, they would qualify as blind, I guess).
its eyes are small, but I PROMISE they work. they don’t work well, but they’re good enough for the caecilian’s needs.
Before I get to the spooky bit, I want to say that I find them to be quite lovely. They come in many colours, and I think they’re very sweet with their derpy sock puppet faces. Some species also have poisonous skin, which I, personally, respect so much (source of info: 3, source of respect: I’m happy for them).
Caecilians have such goofy faces.
that said, I have thus far been using images that purposefully highlight their cuteness and charm. There are other pictures which are… less flattering.
I’m actually going to put most of this Spooky Fact under the cut, because it is simply TOO SPOOKY.
(Seriously, though. If you dislike creepy teeth, skin shedding, and bite-y critters, maaaaybe give this one a pass. Read about oilbirds instead! They are wholesome and not too spooky)