They also get a bad rep since their diet primarily consists of snails, which are considered to be important to the food chain and ecosystem. New Guinea flatworms aren’t parasites themselves, but they are known to be hosts of the parasite “rat lungworm”, which can affect the brain and spinal cord. However, New Guinea flatworms typically have dark gray backs with a pale stripe down the middle and lighter stomachs, and the organisms our reader found appear to be entirely black. The flatworm is 1-3 inches long with slightly pointed head and tail ends, and a lover of humidity, which matches what our reader found. New Guinea flatworms are, as their name suggests, native to New Guinea, but have been accidentally introduced as an invasive species in many countries, including the United States. We will discuss both of these creatures below. We also think this specimen looks a bit like a brahminy blind snake, which is another species found in Florida. New Guinea flatworms do look a lot like the organisms in the photographs, and they are found in Florida, so that could be one possibility. We aren’t totally sure what our reader is dealing with. They appear to have smooth, shiny bodies with no noticeable appendages or features (like antennae or legs.) Based on the photo, we don’t think they are segmented, but we could be wrong. The worms, as our reader accurately described them, are little and black.
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