Velvet worm

Peripatus juliformis

The velvet worm is a soft-bodied invertebrate of moist Neotropical forests. It is a solitary nocturnal carnivore with an unusual hunting method.

Key facts

Velvet worm (Peripatus juliformis) is a carnivore animal classified as Invertebrate · Peripatidae.
Primary habitats are forest, with a range across Neotropical.
Activity is nocturnal, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
The velvet worm is a soft-bodied invertebrate of moist Neotropical forests.
It lives under leaf litter, rotting wood, and stones in humid forest.
Typical lifespan: 1-5 years

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

It lives under leaf litter, rotting wood, and stones in humid forest. Moist microhabitats are essential because the body dries easily.

Length is about 2-15 cm and weight about 1-10 g. The velvety body carries many short legs, and antennae probe the surroundings.

It is nocturnal and solitary. It walks slowly, then sprays sticky slime to immobilize prey when close enough.

It is carnivorous, taking small insects and other arthropods. Prey tangled in slime is bitten and softened with digestive fluids.

Depending on species, velvet worms may lay eggs or give birth to live young. Young resemble small adults and grow in damp shelters.

Its conservation status is LC. Its moisture needs make it sensitive to drying and forest change.