Worms might seem harmless at first glance, however there are some species out there that are anything but...
From parasitic invaders to predators with nightmarish abilities, these terrifying worms are sure to make your skin crawl.
6 terrifying worms
Bobbit worm
The bobbit worm is a fearsome marine predator that burrows into the sand and waits for unsuspecting prey. The worm uses its sensory appendages to detect passing victims. When something ventures close enough, it lurches from the sand like a coiled spring, snapping its jaws over its catch in a strike so ferocious that the prey is often sliced in half. Nice!
Velvet worms
Velvet worms may look cute and cuddly but these millipede-like invertebrates have a secret (and very sticky) weapon that immobilises unsuspecting prey. Velvet worms are night-time predators that disable their victims with jets of sticky mucus fired from glands on either side of their mouths.
Zombie snail parasite (Leucochloridium Paradoxum)
Who said zombies aren't real? The larvae of this parasitic flatworm is notorious for its mind-controlling abilities. It invades a snail's body, moving to its eyestalks and pulsating to mimic caterpillars. This grotesque display attracts birds, which then eat the snail, allowing the parasite to reproduce in the gut of the birds and complete its life cycle.
Guinea worms
This next one may make you feel very squeamish. Guinea worms - one of the world's deadliest parasites - are the largest tissue parasites that affect humans (as opposed to intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms). As adults they can measure 600 to 800 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter, and their lifecycle is like something from a horror film.
A person becomes infected when they drink water contaminated by a guinea worm; the worm then migrate through the intestinal wall and escapes into the body. About a year later, after mating with the host, the now fully grown female will travel down the body, through muscles, to find an exit site. The worm will emerge, usually from the feet, erupting from the skin in an intensely painful blister. Horrific!
African eye worm (Loa Loa)
This parasitic worm, which is usually 1–3 inches long, can live in a variety of places inside the human body, from the lungs and lymphatic system to the tissues just under the skin. It can even cross the surface of the eyeball, causing 'Loiasis'.
The sight of the worm moving across the eye is both disturbing and painful, however the Mayo Clinic says they "don't cause blindness and usually don’t damage your eyes".
Spread by the bites of deerflies in West and Central African rainforests, Loa Loa can live inside a human for up to 17 years.
Giant gippsland earthworm (Megascolides australis)
Native to Australia, this giant earthworm can grow over 9 feet long. While not dangerous to humans, its enormous size and the eerie sounds it makes while moving underground are enough to unsettle anyone who comes across it.