Bipalium pennsylvanicum, the three-lined land planarian, is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Bipaliinae.[1][2] They are native to Asia, but found mostly in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.[3][2] They can reach a length of 5.1 inches (130 mm) or more, with a diet consisting mostly of earthworms. They reproduce sexually by creating a cocoon in the spring, but unlike related planarians, they cannot reproduce through binary fission.[2] It is not recommended to touch these flatworms without gloves, because their mucus contains a toxin that is used for digesting prey and can cause skin irritation for some people.[4]
| Bipalium pennsylvanicum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
| Order: | Tricladida |
| Family: | Geoplanidae |
| Genus: | Bipalium |
| Species: | B. pennsylvanicum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bipalium pennsylvanicum Ogren, 1987
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References
edit- ^ Ogren, Robert E (1987). "Description of a New Three-Lined Land Planarian of the Genus Bipalium (Turbellaria: Tricladida) from Pennsylvania, U.S.A". Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 106 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/3226281. JSTOR 3226281.
- ^ a b c "Hammerhead Flatworms and Other Land Planaria of Eastern North America". Penn State Extension. May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Barker, G.M. (2004). Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. Oxfordshire: CABI Publishing. pp. 242–248. ISBN 0851993192. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Draper, Erik (May 27, 2022). "Hammerhead Hysteria". Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine. Ohio State University. Retrieved July 30, 2022.