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[Solved] what is this (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Bronohomo@lemmy.world to c/whatisthisthing@lemmy.world
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I live in Arizona. These have been coming out in the evening. They are 1-2” long and looking like really skinny earthworms. I took it to the local pest supply store and they had never seen anything like it.

Update: my pest control company had never seen anything like it. They sent some examples to ASU to identify. Turns out they are a type of millipede. Very uncommon in this region.

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[-] OldFartPhil@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago

Did you pick it up, OP? Is it scaly or slimy? If it's scaly, it may be a Western Threadsnake. If it's slimy it's some variety of earthworm.

[-] Bronohomo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I haven’t picked one up…they are freaking me out. They are about the same diameter as the old iPhone corded earphones…very tiny.

[-] name_NULL111653@pawb.social 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Looks to me like a juvenile Texas Blind Snake. I'm no reptile expert though, can't tell for sure

https://www.reptilefact.com/texas-blind-snake.html

[-] VizualWarrior@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Yo! I from Phoenix. I lived by some mountains and we'd get baby snakes randomly for a few weeks at a time throughout the year. They look a lot like skinny worms and could range in color from pinkish to dark brown. As to what type of snakes they were, I have no idea.

[-] Bronohomo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

That’s interesting…I live in some foothills around phoenix with a fairly large lake across the street. I was surprised that the pest control had never seen something like it. Last night, I captured 15.

[-] Feirdro@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

How long have you lived in the state?

[-] Bronohomo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

About 27 years

[-] lossykittens@reddthat.com 5 points 1 year ago

I hope someone will chime in who’s more knowledgeable but, yeah, it looks like an earthworm to me. Just…longer? Not a sewage worm, by chance?

This site may help you match it: https://www.trees.com/gardening-and-landscaping/types-of-earthworms

[-] Bronohomo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

At first that’s what I thought…I found tubifex worms image online and thought that was it. I’ve also have a recording of one moving…it kinda glides like it has a lot of legs…but it’s so tiny, I can’t tell if it has legs.

[-] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Is it "gliding " in a wavy pattern, or in a straight line?

A wavy pattern, where it glides like that makes me think it's a threadsnake

[-] Bronohomo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Hmmm…I’ve seen it move more on the wavy side…reminds me of how a centipede moves.

this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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What is this thing?

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