Hammer headed worm care guide

The Hammer Headed Worm Care Guide

what is a Hammer headed worm and why should I keep one? 

    There are many species of "hammer headed worms", most of them living in tropical regions. However, the most common species is Bipalium Kewence, which is the species we will be discussing today. In fact, we will be calling it by it's scientific name throughout the article. Bipalium Kewence is a species of terrestrial planarian, and is common in many temperate and tropical regions. This is not it's natural range, however. It's natural range is not known, but it is speculated that it is native to southeast Asia. This makes it an invasive species, which is an important fact that will come in later. As noted earlier, Bipalium Kewence is a terrestrial planarian, making it a species of flatworm. A flatworm is any species in the phylum platyhelminthes, which consists of 3 major classes; Turbellaria, Trematoda, and Cestoda. Trematoda and Cestoda are both parasitic, Trematoda being flukes, which can be found in variety of forms and Cestoda being the infamous tapeworms. Turbellaria consists of most of the non-parasitic flatworms, and it includes our Bipalium Kewence. Just to be clear though, Bipalium Kewence is NOT a parasite, and has absolutely no way of infecting you. Your about as likely to get a Bipalium Kewence infection as a tomato infection.

Natural History

    Bipalium Kewence is, as stated earlier, NOT a parasite. However, it does have a taste for flesh. This species feeds primarily on earthworms, and does so in a very interesting way. Unlike us humans, Bipalium Kewence has only one opening on its body, which functions as both a mouth and an anus. Another interesting thing about it is the fact that it is the only terrestrial invertebrate to use tetrodotoxins. It is speculated that Bipalium Kewence uses these toxins to bring down its prey, along with a few other interesting behaviors. First, it will locate a slime trail from an earthworm, and will track it down. When it finds the worm, it will use it's head to latch on, creating what seems to be a suction, anchoring it in place. Then, it will slide it's body over the worm, and if the worm is small enough, it will completely encase it within its coils. Finally, it will start digesting the worms from outside it's stomach, turning it into a smoothie, and will then proceed to suck up the liquid mixture. 

    When looking at it's head, you might notice that it looks rather peculiar. This is because the head is packed with sensors, allowing it to be very sensitive to chemicals, touch, and smells. It is also very muscular, which when you work with these guys as much as I do, will become very apparent. The head is one of it's most iconic features, and one of my personal favorite things about them.

    Bipalium Kewence is a active species with lots of interesting behavior. However, it only comes out at night, or when it rained earlier. when out however, it can be seen sliding silently along the ground, searching for earthworm trails and new places to hide. From my own personal experience, they also like to climb, for a reason I am yet to discover.

    Like most planarians, Bipalium Kewence is a hermaphrodite, meaning it has both male and female sex organs, and can reproduce sexually. However, this species is not always in the right environment for this to happen, so it must reproduce in a different way. Bipalium Kewence has a special property found in many species of flatworms, and that is the ability to cut itself in half, and have each half grow all the necessary organs to survive, becoming a self-sufficient clone of the original worm. In the wild and in captivity, it can be observed attaching one end of its body to a rock or tree, and tearing itself in two. This is how most populations of worms start in foreign environments.

Finding A Worm

    As you know, Bipalium Kewence is an invasive species. However, I have noticed that it does not travel far, and usually stays in isolated pockets. The challenge of obtaining one is finding one of these pockets, as there is practically no sellers to buy from. To find one, I recommend just turning over rocks and logs, and tearing rotting logs apart. Try looking in damp locations, as this is their preferred habitat. Try to collect a larger specimen, as they are easier to feed and care for, and will more safely split into more.

The Setup

    When setting up an enclosure for your Bipalium Kewence, it doesn't really matter how large the container is. However, if you aren't planning on having more than 1 to 3 individuals, I recommend a fairly small enclosure, as it will be easier to find them, and for them to find their food, maybe something like a Tupperware. If you want more than 3, or you want other species in the tank, you can go as big as you need. One very important variable to keep in mind is ventilation. Ventilation is a very important aspect of keeping these guys, and also a tricky one. On one hand, if the holes are to large, (which is very easy to do) then they can escape. If there is no ventilation, then a buildup of mold is a probable danger. My recommendation is to get some screening with small holes in it, or some cloth, although I would go with the former.

    As for the substrate, there are a variety of options to choose from, such as sphagnum moss, coco fiber, or even just plain old dirt from outside. If you choose outside dirt, I recommend baking it at 250 degrees 

Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to get rid of mold and parasites. As long as the substrate can hold moisture and is free of fertilizers and insecticides, you can use practically anything. Don't go with bark, sand, or gravel, as none of these can hold moisture. 

    When it comes to foliage, this is not essential for your pets, it will make the enclosure look much better though. You can use most tropical non-toxic plants from a store, or even plants from outside, and long as you have determined their toxicity. Moss is an amazing choice, as it looks great, holds moisture, easy to care for, and serves as a home for the worms. If you have a large enough tank, bromeliads look amazing, along with pathos and ivy.

    Lighting is unnecessary unless you have plants, but is is a option if you want to illuminate your terrarium. Be sure to keep away from hot lights, as these can easily dry out your tank. Room temperature is fine, so not heating is required, just make sure to keep the terrarium away from direct sunlight. Humidity on the other hand, is crucial. You want to keep the humidity fairly high, as flatworms have no way of keeping water in themselves, so they are prone to desiccation. This is why humidity is so important, it slows the process down by a lot.

General Care

    Bipalium Kewence flatworms are a very low-maintenance pet, are require little attention. When it comes to feeding, I recommend putting a few earthworms in every few weeks. Make sure to give some variety in size, so that if there are smaller worms that were produced without your knowledge, they can have food. Large worms can provide valuable living space for your flatworms in the form of burrows, so I recommend larger ones too. If you want to see your planarians in action, turn down the lights and give the enclosure a light misting to simulate rainfall. Wait for them to emerge, and put a worm is their general direction. Hopefully, you will witness the planarian hunt down the worm, and engage in it's hunting behavior.

    When it comes to general care, just mist the cage every other day or so, and keep an eye out for mold. If you notice any strange smells or see any mold, take all of your worms out and place them in a new enclosure, and dispose of all of the substrate or what ever the mold is growing on.

Conclusion

    When it comes down to it, Bipalium Kewence and so many other species of terrestrial planarians are some of the most underrated invertebrates in the world. They are so fascinating, and are a captivating creature to behold. There are also many more things you can do with them, such as cutting them in half and watching one end grow a whole new head over the course of the few weeks, or cutting their head halfway down so they grow two heads. But Bipalium Kewence is just the tip of the iceberg, there are hundreds of species of terrestrial planarians out there, some putting B. Kewence to shame with their beautiful colors. Just take one google search and see for yourself! When you decide to keep one of these amazing creatures, you become part of a small group that may one day inspire more to keep them, and who knows, maybe in the future there will be a pet trade focused on the more exquisite species, and a new community could be formed. But it all starts with you keeping the one in your backyard, one keeper at a time.