I recently discovered this incredible creature while on a night walk in the NZ bush. Known as a 'Velvet Worm', this adorable invertebrate is actually an active predator which immobilises its prey with organic glue fired from turrets on its head!

Basically unchanged in about 400 million years, they are so wonderful that of course they get more than a few mentions in my upcoming book 'The World Beneath Our Feet' (coming later this year).

#SoilEcology #Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Onychophora

@frankashwood
Peripetus!! Love them and their deadend ancient branch of evolution! Most splendid things!!
@frankashwood Follow you so I can get that book when out. 🤗
@frankashwood
New life goal: evolve head turrets capable of firing organic glue.
@frankashwood And a Cambrian-era member of the group (one with spines on the back) confused the hell out paleontologists for years -- the appropriately named Hallucigenia!
@frankashwood Now I hear about this critter the second time in 24h — the first one being the book on slime (or mucus)by Susanne Wedlich (see https://www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/buch/das-buch-vom-schleim.html). Looks more beautiful than I imagined!
Das Buch vom Schleim

Matthes & Seitz Berlin - Im Grunde genommen ist Schleim nur Wasser in molekularen Ketten. Doch was heißt das schon. Das auf den ersten Blick so bescheidene Material ist ein Phänomen, das Raum und Zeit umspannt. Schleim ...

Verlag Matthes & Seitz Berlin