BLACKSHEAR, Ga. — A man in Blackshear said he found a hammerhead flatworm while he was at work.
Ryan King shared a photo of the invasive species with Action News Jax.
“I wish I could say this is a joke but I literally read an article the day before about Virginia residents finding a ‘snake’ that was actually an invasive species in the hammerhead flatworm. Crazy coincidence,” King told Action News Jax on Twitter.
Crazy coincidence indeed. Action News Jax actually covered this instance of the snake-like worm being found in Virginia earlier this month.
A representative at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens confirmed that King’s photo was indeed of a hammerhead flatworm.
The zoo’s representative said they eat earthworms and are originally from Southeast Asia.
The worms most likely arrived in the U.S. by hitchhiking in potted tropical plants, the zoo said.
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So how do you get rid of them?
The Texas Invasive Species Institute suggests using orange essence or salt.
Cutting them in half may not be an option as the worms can regenerate. That’s how they reproduce, according to the TISI. A small part of the end of the worm will drop off and stay behind and within days, a new head begins to form.
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