Velvet worms are segmented animals with a flattened cylindrical body cross-section and rows of unstructured body appendages known as oncopods or lobopods ("stub feet").

Velvet worm, (phylum Onychophora), any of about 70 wormlike species of ancient, terrestrial invertebrates with short, thick legs and a dry, velveteen body. Onychophorans range in size from 14 …

Velvet worms are very strange animals representing an entire phylum of around 200 known species. They’re rare, even in places they belong, and we still don’t know all that much about them. Thought …

Phylum Onychophora , or velvet worms, contains approximately 180 species of bilaterally symmetrical, coelomate organisms that somewhat resemble caterpillars. Onychophorans range from 5 mm to 15 …

Apr 22, 2025 · Velvet worms, constituting the phylum Onychophora (hence their other name, onychophorans), are soft-bodied, segmented invertebrates named for their velvety texture (due to …

Nov 2, 2025 · Velvet worms belong to a phylum of their own, the Onychophora, meaning 'claw-bearers'. They are small, terrestrial (land-dwelling) worms that look rather like caterpillars, with antennae and …

Sep 24, 2024 · Explore the Velvet Worm (Onychophora), its habitat, unique traits, diet, reproduction, and evolutionary history in this detailed animal guide.

Jun 5, 2025 · Velvet worms like this one “sneeze” out a sticky goo with intriguing properties. The velvet worm, a squishy little predator that looks like the stretch-limo version of a caterpillar, has a...

Jul 5, 2022 · All velvet worms have a worm-like appearance, but they also have legs. This can cause some confusion, with people thinking they are a type of caterpillar or slug. They are neither; they …

Onychophorans (velvet worms) are carnivorous, terrestrial invertebrates that live in rotted logs and leaf litter in tropical and temperate forests of the southern hemisphere and around the equator [1].