Bipalium pennsylvanicum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
Order: | Tricladida |
Family: | Geoplanidae |
Genus: | Bipalium |
Species: | B. pennsylvanicum
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Binomial name | |
Bipalium pennsylvanicum Ogren, 1987
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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 mucous contains a toxin that is used for digesting prey and can cause skin irritation for some people.[4]