# Velvet Worm (*Peripatus spp.*)

> The velvet worm (Peripatus spp.) is a soft-bodied invertebrate lineage between worms and arthropods that shoots slime to trap prey in tropical leaf litter. Adults reach 10 cm and are Least Concern.

- **Category:** Invertebrate
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Tropical forests of the Southern Hemisphere.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/velvet-worm/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Onychophora
- **Class:** Onychophora
- **Order:** Euonychophora
- **Family:** Peripatidae
- **Genus:** Peripatus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Peripatus spp. |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Leaf litter and rotting logs |
| Lifespan | 5–7 years |
| Weight | 0.003–0.01 kg |
| Top speed | up to 0.5 km/h |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Slime cannon from a living fossil

Velvety skin covers stubby unjointed legs — a body plan unchanged since the Cambrian. Oral papillae squirt rapid-hardening slime that immobilises prey.

## Termites, crickets, and spiders

Nocturnal hunters spray slime from a range of several centimetres, then bite with jaws. Females retain eggs internally in some species or lay them in moss.

## Southern Hemisphere rainforests

Tropical forests of South America, Australia, and New Zealand hold most species. Rotting logs and leaf litter provide humidity.

## Hidden but secure

Least Concern where forest remains. Habitat loss matters locally, but many populations live in extensive undisturbed litter layers.

## Frequently asked questions

### What do velvet worms shoot?

Quick-hardening slime from oral papillae that glues prey in place.

### Are velvet worms insects?

No — they are onychophorans, a distinct phylum related to arthropods and annelids.

### Why are they called velvet worms?

Soft, velvety dermal papillae give a plush texture and blue-green sheen.

### Where do velvet worms live?

Moist leaf litter and rotting wood in tropical Southern Hemisphere forests.

### How old is the velvet worm lineage?

Fossils show similar forms over 500 million years — true living fossils.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/velvet-worm/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.