What is peripatus?

Peripatus is a tropical invertebrate in the Onychophora family, who lives in the areas of Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa, as well as in the part of South America. It is often called Velvet Worm or Walking Worm, in fact it is not a worm at all. It is similar to a member, but has an internal structure more similar to annelid such as a lobster and spider. It has an unagared, smooth body that can be several centimeters or centimeters long and numerous hollow legs with claws at the ends. These carnivorous creatures are night, feeding at night for small insects and remnants of larger, dead insects.

Peripatus has a damp, dark habitat, rather lives on forest floors, under the rocks or in rotten lols. They avoid daylight and therefore people are often seen. These slowly moving animals have an insatiable appetite and look for prey using their antennas that spray the sticky substance that immobilizes and captures their victim. Peripatus can then bite into its prey and vacuum their guts. Adhesive to thisThe substances do not last long, preventing it from sucking the peripat because it absorbs its victim.

mating is carried out by male by storing spermatofor, a pouch containing sperm, on the back of a woman, which it then absorbs. A woman can only join once in her entire life. It can have several embryos in different stages of growth simultaneously.

This family of invertebrates is unique because it has several different ways of reproduction within its kind. Some actually have the uterus and placenta and give birth to live young. Others are similar to marsupial and protect their children in cases, while other lay eggs. A woman peripatus can produce up to 40 young people in one year. They leave their children at birth and let them take care of them.

Peripatus was called a living fossil and may have existed more than 500 million years ago. This is questioned by some biologists who think a very similar organismThe called Aysheaia has lived long ago. But these worms were water; Because peripatus lives on the ground, it is unlikely to be the same species. Yet this animal has been for a very long time.

This bizarre -looking creatures in some areas began to maintain as pets and need special care to survive. While other invertebrates require heat, peripatus needs a cool, humid place to live and insects to feed on. It should also have something to hide, such as leaves or bark, with soft rot. The temperature should remain relatively constant at about 68 ° Fahrenheit (20 ° Celsius).