Flatworm (possibly land planarian)
Scientific Name: Geoplanidae (family)
Order & Family: Order: Tricladida; Family: Geoplanidae
Size: Highly variable; can be from a few millimeters to several centimeters long (approx. 5-100mm depending on species).
Natural Habitat
Damp, cool environments like under rocks, logs, and leaf litter; also found in gardens and greenhouses.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous and predatory; they eat earthworms, snails, slugs, and other small invertebrates.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal; they move by gliding on a film of mucus using tiny hairs (cilia). They are hermaphrodites and some can reproduce through fragmentation.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: Help control invasive snail or slug populations. Risks: Some invasive species (like the Hammerhead Flatworm) can contain neurotoxins (tetrodotoxin) and can significantly harm beneficial earthworm populations. Should not be handled with bare hands.
Identified on: 1/12/2026