Terrestrial flatworms

[ecooper]

I have a long term interest in planaria (Phylum Platyhelminthes) and am quite curious about the terrestrial forms, some of which get quite large and can be beautifully colored. Does anyone live in an area where they come across these critters? Has anyone ever tried keeping them in captivity? I wouldn’t think it would be difficult in that they are predatory (e.g. on earthworms). I know several species have become introduced to the US and UK (and probably elsewhere) so at least some species are likely quite hardy with the correct conditions.

Anyhow, I was just curious whether anyone had any experience with them.

Cheers,
EC

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

I see a bunch during the rainy season. Kept one when I was a child just to witness it eat a worm but only kept it for about a day, so I have no real experience keeping them.

-JohnD.

 

[ecooper]

I see a bunch during the rainy season. Kept one when I was a child just to witness it eat a worm but only kept it for about a day, so I have no real experience keeping them.

-JohnD.

In California eh? Interesting. What do they look like? How big are they and what colour?

EC

 

[Galapoheros]

I've got the interest too, there's one here in Texas that gets pretty long, not much mass to it though, not native. I haven't seen one in a long time but I think I'll try to keep the next ones I come across. If you like flatworms, I'm sure you'll like this, close enough imo, I'd like to have a few of these ..in my dreams. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpv9P1KOVMQ

 

[klawfran3]

I live here in california, and a year or two I came across one so I decided to try my hand at keeping it. I kept it in a sealed container (no air holes! they'll escape too easily!) that I opened once a day for air. I had wet eco-earth at the bottom (kept very soggy) and a flowerpot shard for it to hide under. I fed it once a week. When it came time for feeding, I dug up a worm in my yard (they're everywhere) and chopped it in half so it couldn't crawl away, and then put it under the shard with the planarian. sometimes it ate, sometimes it didn't, because I have no idea about their metabolism and thus don't know how often they eat. the little guy lasted for about seven months and nearly doubled in size before he died going from four inches to seven inches. It was really cool to watch, and a very interesting experiment. Do you happen to know the lifespan on those things?

on a side note, when they die, it seemed to sort of "explode" (rapidly decay of course) in to a mucousy sludge ball, which was not very appetizing to clean out.

I want to hear others input on caring for them, because I have not heard of anyone else doing so at the moment. good luck!

 

[ecooper]

I've got the interest too, there's one here in Texas that gets pretty long, not much mass to it though, not native. I haven't seen one in a long time but I think I'll try to keep the next ones I come across. If you like flatworms, I'm sure you'll like this, close enough imo, I'd like to have a few of these ..in my dreams. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpv9P1KOVMQ

LOL! Great video! That was one big (and cool looking) leech!

EC

---------- Post added 05-29-2014 at 05:07 PM ----------

I live here in california, and a year or two I came across one so I decided to try my hand at keeping it. I kept it in a sealed container (no air holes! they'll escape too easily!) that I opened once a day for air. I had wet eco-earth at the bottom (kept very soggy) and a flowerpot shard for it to hide under. I fed it once a week. When it came time for feeding, I dug up a worm in my yard (they're everywhere) and chopped it in half so it couldn't crawl away, and then put it under the shard with the planarian. sometimes it ate, sometimes it didn't, because I have no idea about their metabolism and thus don't know how often they eat. the little guy lasted for about seven months and nearly doubled in size before he died going from four inches to seven inches. It was really cool to watch, and a very interesting experiment. Do you happen to know the lifespan on those things?

on a side note, when they die, it seemed to sort of "explode" (rapidly decay of course) in to a mucousy sludge ball, which was not very appetizing to clean out.

I want to hear others input on caring for them, because I have not heard of anyone else doing so at the moment. good luck!

I knew someone here would have tried keeping them! It soundslike it was thriving in your care. I don't know how long one would naturally live, but 7 months sounds pretty good! I've only ever kept aquatic planaria, and when they are happy they keep splitting into new worms, so I don't know how long any one individual lived.

What do the terrestrial planaria in California look like? Are they common?

I'd love to get my hands on a couple of the huge colourful tropical species.

Cheers,
EC

 

[klawfran3]

LOL! Great video! That was one big (and cool looking) leech!

EC

---------- Post added 05-29-2014 at 05:07 PM ----------



I knew someone here would have tried keeping them! It soundslike it was thriving in your care. I don't know how long one would naturally live, but 7 months sounds pretty good! I've only ever kept aquatic planaria, and when they are happy they keep splitting into new worms, so I don't know how long any one individual lived.

What do the terrestrial planaria in California look like? Are they common?

I'd love to get my hands on a couple of the huge colourful tropical species.

Cheers,
EC

They're not common at ALL here in so cal. La is a desert, and these humid loving animals love water.
He was an olive yellow with a stripe or two down his dorsal side. A very pretty animal. I hope to find more and try again.

 

[ecooper]

They're not common at ALL here in so cal. La is a desert, and these humid loving animals love water.
He was an olive yellow with a stripe or two down his dorsal side. A very pretty animal. I hope to find more and try again.

Cool! If you do, please update on this forum. And photos would be much appreciated!

EC

 

[Galapoheros]

I found the sci name for the one around here in Texas, it's "Bipalium kewense". When I was a 4 or 5 year old kid in Houston, I'd watch them climb up the sliding glass door after a rain, that was in the late 1960s so they have been here for a long time.

 

[ecooper]

I found the sci name for the one around here in Texas, it's "Bipalium kewense". When I was a 4 or 5 year old kid in Houston, I'd watch them climb up the sliding glass door after a rain, that was in the late 1960s so they have been here for a long time.

Thanks. That seems to be the most common species, introduced into a number of countries including the US where it seems widespread through the warm humid states (and even into California and Arizona). Apparently they don't pose too much of a threat except to earthworm producers...

EC

---------- Post added 05-29-2014 at 07:58 PM ----------

I just found an interesting paper on the laboratory rearing of the terrestrial planarian Platydemus manokwari:

http://pdf.lookchem.com/pdf/22/e6852db6-b5ed-4bdd-9fae-65ccaf800825.pdf

 

[Galapoheros]

Yeah I think you're right, I've never seen very many at once and it looks like they don't eat often. And from what I read, earthworms out produce those things by a long shot. I can can go find an earthworm right now in less than a minute but not one of those flatworms. If I looked hard, even knowing where I've seen them, I might not find one for days.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Leeches are sometimes confused with flatworms,but their admittedly invisible innards are designed more like our own than like flatworms' literally bloodless anatomy...among many other alien anatomical surprises
the flatworm species that actually have mouths (which some kinds don't) open their mouths directly into abdomens that have no abdominal cavities...which no leech could do,any more than we could.

 

[Umbra]

I keep the small species Rhynchodemus sylvaticus. They are fed springtails, fruit flies, yellow sac spiders, etc. Interesting critters, I'm trying to get my hands on some of the larger insectivores (Dolichoplana sp, Artioposthia japonica, etc).

 

[ecooper]

I keep the small species Rhynchodemus sylvaticus. They are fed springtails, fruit flies, yellow sac spiders, etc. Interesting critters, I'm trying to get my hands on some of the larger insectivores (Dolichoplana sp, Artioposthia japonica, etc).

Cool! Are they reproducing?

EC

 

[Umbra]

P. manokwari is on the list of the most invasive species worldwide and fines are steep if you are caught owning or transporting them. Just a word of warning.

In the USA you can find Caenoplana coerulea, Dolichoplana striata, Bipalium kewense, Bipalium adventitium, Microplana terrestris, Rhynchidemus sylvaticus, at least one species of Geoplana sp. and possibly a few others that are slipping my mind. Most are generalist predators except for the Bipalium and possibly Dolichioplana which specialize in molluscs.

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[Biollantefan54]

I was looking at pics of all those species Umbra, the only one I have ever found is Bipalium kewense. In my opinion, here, they are pretty easy to find. I saw one the other day, it was at least 6-7 inches.

 

[Umbra]

Where are you right now? B. kewense and adventitium are more/less cosmopolitan in distribution across the country but the others are more sporadic in distribution occurring in Florida, Cali, South Carolina, etc. Florida and Cali also have a species of terrestrial nemertean, Geonemertes cf. pelaensis which is another neat predatory worm.

I contacted the MNR of Ontario and it appears I might not even need a permit to bring planarians that aren't P. manokwari or A. triangulata across the border.

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[Biollantefan54]

I am in Dallas North Carolina, the county I am in literally touches the border of south Carolina. I am pretty sure it is B. kewense, the pictures I saw look like it. It is a drab light brown color with dark brown stripes down its body.

 

[Argos]

For those wanting to know if they will reproduce, just remember what you did back in 6th grade science class. Find a scalpel and cut one in half.

 

[flatwormlover11]

I have a long term interest in planaria (Phylum Platyhelminthes) and am quite curious about the terrestrial forms, some of which get quite large and can be beautifully colored. Does anyone live in an area where they come across these critters? Has anyone ever tried keeping them in captivity? I wouldn’t think it would be difficult in that they are predatory (e.g. on earthworms). I know several species have become introduced to the US and UK (and probably elsewhere) so at least some species are likely quite hardy with the correct conditions.

Anyhow, I was just curious whether anyone had any experience with them.

Cheers,
EC

i have kept bipalium kewence flatworms on dozens of occasions, they are exelent pets and require lots more attention. they eat earthworms and nothing else, personally, i pre-kill the earthworms and serve them in a dish.