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Floods are set to inundate Texas with slimy toxic creatures that sicken pets and which regenerate if cut in half
Texas is bracing for a heavy rain storm that is set to unleash an army of toxic foot-long mutant worms that regenerate when sliced in half.
Experts warn the floods may bring the invasive 'hammerhead flatworms' which can grow to a frightening 12 inches long and can pack a poison punch if you pick them up - or if your pet gets its hands on one.
Americans are being advised to avoid touching the foot-long flatworms, which feast on slugs, snails and earthworms by paralyzing them with the same potent neurotoxin found in deadly puffer fish.
Also known as spade-headed garden worms, the slippery specimens excrete a septic slime, which can be harmful to humans if ingested.
The worms live in hot and humid climates and can be found in the dirt, or on sidewalks. They typically prefer dark, secluded spaces and avoid the sun and daytime.
Texas is bracing for a heavy rain storm that is set to unleash an army of toxic foot-long mutant worms that regenerate when sliced in half
Experts warn the floods may bring the invasive 'hammerhead flatworms' which can grow to a frightening 12 inches long and can pack a poison punch if you pick them up - or if your pet gets its hands on one
Heavy rain is expected to flush them out of their burrows in the ground.
If you see one, experts warn not to cut them in half.
'It will regenerate,' Ashley Morgan-Olvera, M.S., of the Texas Invasive Species Institute, said to KHOU 11. 'So if you chop it into two pieces, you get two worms.'
'A portion of the rear of the worm breaks off and grows a new head, producing a new flatworm genetically identical to its parent, a literal 'chip off the old block,' Dr. Blake Layton Jr., an entomology expert with Mississippi State University, told the outlet.
Scientists have warned people not to touch the worms or cut them, which would cause them to multiply - making them essentially immortal.
Americans are being advised to avoid touching the foot-long flatworms, which feast on slugs, snails and earthworms by paralyzing them with the same potent neurotoxin found in deadly puffer fish
Even after they are dead, experts warn to refrain from touching them.
If you happen to do so, it is advised to wash your hands immediately with soap and disinfectant.
The only way to kill the hammerheads, which love moist environments, is to cover them in alcohol, vinegar or salt and to freeze them before disposal.
The worms might even be carrying parasites.
With more rain on the horizon, Texans are being urged to stay vigilant.
Scientists have warned people not to touch the worms or cut them, which would cause them to multiply - making them essentially immortal
The worms live in hot and humid climates and can be found in the dirt, or on sidewalks. They typically prefer dark, secluded spaces and avoid the sun and daytime
The terrifying terrestrial is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia, and it is believed to have been transported to North America's west coast while lurking in the soil of exotic potted plants around a century ago.
In recent years, the hammerhead worm has slithered to around 30 states, according to National Geographic.
Although the worms are toxic to people if ingested, their poison cannot penetrate human skin.
The mucus-covered land mollusks have also gone global, with scientists warning they are 'trying to take over the world' in 2020 research paper.
Their main concern is that the cannibalistic worms could multiply even more, disturbing the ecosystem established by their prey - earthworms - which create fertile conditions in the soil.