Velvet worms (Onychophora) are what you would call “living fossils”. They’ve been around for the past 500 million years, and they were one of the first groups of animals to come out of the water. Despite their name, they are not considered actual worms (Annelids), nor are they arthropods.

Velvet worms are terrestrial and can be found in tropical areas hiding in moss, tree trunks, rotting woods and even caves. To defend themselves against predators or to capture prey, they squirt slime from slime glands positioned on the sides of the head. This slime contains surfactant nonylphenol, and velvet worms are the only known organisms on Earth to produce this substance.

Classification: Animalia - Ecdysozoa - Panarthropoda - Onychophora

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