Jump to content

Chirst on skates, what's that!?


Ackey

Recommended Posts

About 3 months ago in Malaysia I came across something which scared the bejesus out of me. I've finally managed to get the video online and so I ask of you all... what the HELL IS THIS!?

 

It was in the Cameron Highlands, which is the middle of a rain forest and it left no trail, as you would expect of a slug or worm.

 

Link : Click http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenackroyd/2887133986/HERE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The great minds of our science dept. have been working overtime on this, Ackey, and I've had the following response :

 

I think this may be a land planarian. I don’t know much about them, but the horned shape of the head is very distinctive. There are lots of different ones, and they’re of interest to biologists because they have amazing powers of regeneration. In temperate climates they tend to be small (3mm) and aquatic, but tropical ones can grow up to 50cm apparently. This is a particularly nice one!!

 

Hope that answers your question.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The great minds of our science dept. have been working overtime on this, Ackey, and I've had the following response :

 

I think this may be a land planarian. I don’t know much about them, but the horned shape of the head is very distinctive. There are lots of different ones, and they’re of interest to biologists because they have amazing powers of regeneration. In temperate climates they tend to be small (3mm) and aquatic, but tropical ones can grow up to 50cm apparently. This is a particularly nice one!!

 

Hope that answers your question.

 

Here's another one.

http://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/images/v...;sigh=114hne923

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those of you who actually wanted to know, and to prove that Thai's contacts are correct this is what the Uni of Manchesters head of Zoology had to say on the matter:

Thanks for your enquiry about your odd organism from Malaysia!

 

I've sent the link round colleagues and students, and the consensus is that

it's a flat worm, sometimes called a land planarian. It's part of the

Platyhelminthes group, which includes tapeworms and flukes.

 

Here's a picture of one taken by one of our students, Andrew Johnson, in Borneo:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r249/AJ...orm_niah001.jpg

 

And here's one from the USA, on the Tree of Life website:

http://www.tolweb.org/onlinecontributors/a...1E9B5DDBEBAC931

DB14A6375426?page=ViewImageData&service=external&sp=533

 

Hope this enlightens you - it really was a striking video!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those of you who actually wanted to know, and to prove that Thai's contacts are correct this is what the Uni of Manchesters head of Zoology had to say on the matter:

 

 

I'm not sure why exactly but I did want to know so thanks for the update! Can you keep them as pets?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...