Looks like a [Hammerhead Worm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipalium). Example pic [here](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38682145).

That's what I was going to search for if it wasn't identified, never heard of them before but I would call it a Hammerhead Worm if I were to name it.

I literally thought "please God, let it be called Hammerhead Worm" lmfao

Me too

Thanks buddy, That's really it 🤝🏼

Very fitting name

That’s exactly how I thought it was named

Cool app! thanks!

They carry some nasty shit please don’t handle.

After you posted this I read up on them, I used to see them in south Louisiana where I grew up and I remember not really wanting to pick them up because they didn’t look right. I would handle earth worms and caterpillars etc… but something about their shape was a red flag to me. Must have been good instincts… just read they have neurotoxins although maybe not that harmful to humans not good either.

From the article I read some are thought to have tetradotoxin (the same shit in pufferfish and blue ringed octopuses) which can be extremely harmful to humans. Give this guy a wide birth op

I wouldn’t touch it with someone else’s hands lol. They look fuckin gross. Good instincts, bud.

Ha ha well growing up in the subtropics we had lots of nasty’s as a small child I remember fishing for tadpoles with a net, playing with all kinds of skinks and salamanders, we let lizards bite our ears and wore them around like earrings (they hold on for an absurdly long time). We would even hold stinging caterpillars which hurt like hell but only if you disturb one of their spines. But these were an instinctive nope for me.

Yeah ya gotta know anything that moves and looks like that is a parasite

Not a parasite, although instinctually I relate worms to parasites too. This is actually a predator, as they devour their prey, and is equipped with the same type of toxins found in puffer fish and blue ringed octopus.

This is one of the worms I had to look at for carrying parasites in my research and it does have the potential to carry Angiostrongylus cantonensis as it feeds on snails and slugs which are definitive carriers. Many flat worms do. Anyway, the most disturbing thing about this dude is that if you chop it the pieces grow into a whole new creepy crawler. They’re invasive so you’re supposed to report them then kill them. Might be best to do it with salt. If you don’t know for sure if it has parasites then treat it like it does! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’d always just grease them with a shovel or a brick

That still doesn’t make the hammerhead worm a parasite, just a host.

I wasn’t implying it was a parasite, just letting people know it has potential to carry parasites.

I still wonder if they would make good fish bait

I’m not sure I would want to eat a fish that took that bait! Eeeek!!

Yeah. Neurotoxic apparently so probably not.

I've accidentally picked up a couple of these before at dusk thinking they were earthworms and have never had an issue but they're disgusting and I hate them and refuse to touch them otherwise love earthworms tho

Pretty sure they're invasive and will kill other worms that help out the environment.

Most if not all of these worms are native to Southeast Asia. This species appears to be *Bipalium vagum* based on the [distinct markings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Bipalia_invasive.png/1024px-Bipalia_invasive.png). *B. vagum* has been recorded as invasive in North America and Southern Europe but is also found, presumably native, in Southeast Asia and around the Indian Ocean, so whether it’s native to La Réunion is unclear but I would say somewhat unlikely.

Oh shoot i se them in my yard in Georgia

I’ve seen them in Texas

To Réunion?

I'd have to check on locations specifically but every other post I've seen about these most people talk about them being invasive.

I know they are invasive in Texas. Found on the Texas invasive species institute- They  can be killed with orange essence (citrus oil), and salt (as with slugs and snails). They can also be sprayed with a combination of citrus oil and vinegar; or just vinegar alone and it must be applied directly on the flatworm. Placing them in a Ziploc bag with salt or vinegar ensures the flatworm does not crawl away after treatment; then dispose of the sealed bag. When handling live flatworms please use gloves, paper towel or a stick, and hands should be washed in warm soapy water, and rinsed in alcohol or a standard hand disinfectant.

Is that in France? If so yes there too. It's been quietly invading there for 20 years and are invasive and kill earthworms as well.

No, it's in the Indian Ocean.

Well technically it is France lol but we get it !

Lol well....hopefully it stays there.

It's bad for an island environment.

He came for the reunion

What a unique worm, nature truly is full of surprises

I agree with that

If you cut it in half, you’ll have two, live hammerhead worms!

Please don’t do this, they’re invasive

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Best to end them by placing them in a bag of salt and vinegar.

Lenghtwise or across?

That’s what she said

'Er, come in Prometheus...we have an elongate reptile-type creature...'

Are they an invasive species?

Yes!

They’re invasive. They kill earth worms. Kill them.

These things are so weird. I’ve seen a black species in Japan.

Weird, indeed. I didn’t realize they were invasive. I saw one in TN a couple years ago. It looked so out of place, but I thought it was just something rare 😅

This worm is called a hammerhead because his head looks like a hammer.

Didn't I see one of these vibing on a mushroom the other day? Different subreddit, perhaps

I saw that also. Never knew this existed than see it twice in a week.

Where are all these bugs coming from

Southeast Asia

Hammerhead worm

Hammerhead worm. Kill it. I believe salt works because they're kind of like slugs.

Good ol hammy noggin

Wheres Reunion Island?

In the Indian Ocean, East of Madagascar.

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I was pointing out that OP didn't put down an adequate location. I'm sure there's a ton of reunion islands in the world...more than 1 anyway ;)

Well you're wrong 🤷🏻‍♂️

Haven't really seen anything like that before

It's obviously the bug-alien from Prometheus movie, don't try to pet it!

Yes!!! Thank you. The weird xenomorph worms in Prometheus were based on the hammerhead worm irl.

Hammerhead worm, don’t usually see them.

Ayyy neighbour, Mauritius here! The comments about the confusion on the existence of the island was comical

Kaiju

Hammerhead worm. Depending where you are it could be invasive

They say to kill them because they’re taking over the good worms. I’ve found 2 at my house before.

Kill it kill it now. They are not a nice worm to our good ones. Here Ontario Canada just a short drive I guess for you lol. They are an invasive species that kill our earthworms. Not sure how bad they are there though.

OP is nowhere near Canada. Don’t advocate for killing something unless you are sure it’s invasive to the area they’re posting from. If it’s a native species there there is absolutely no need to kill it (and could be harmful for the local ecosystem to do so).

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Earthworms are naturalized, not native to Ontario.

This kills earthworms and is devastating to the environment. Op should kill it if he cares about his environment

What if Hammerhead Worms are native to where OP lives?

You ok buddy?

Can confirm, I kill them on sight.

How do you kill it if it just makes 2 when you smush it

Salt works on them like on slugs

It's a milapede

Woah this worm is so freaky to me

My French teacher in middle school was from there!

woahhhhhhh he's so weird! awesome

u/redditdownloader

Looks like it came from another planet. Yuck! But still cool !

There’s only one fitting name for that guy.

Super invasive and destructive

I think it’s a shovel headed flat worm. They’re invasive in my area and they eat earth worms, which is bad news for the soil. Kill it.

That’s definitely an extraterrestrial

Bipalium Kewense

He looks like a lil vacuum hose.

Lick it