Snake-Like Hammerhead Worms Spotted Across Georgia

ACROSS GEORGIA — An invasive, snake-like hammerhead worm has been spotted across Georgia recently, with more than 100 sightings of the shovel-headed garden worms made in the Atlanta area alone, according to a CNN report.

University of Georgia agriculture extension agent James Murphy told CNN the mouths of hammerhead worms are located centrally on their bodies, not on their heads. The worms can grow up to nearly a foot.

They produce tetrodotoxin, a deadly neurotoxin produced by pufferfish, CNN reported, citing a study from Utah State University. Murphy recommends using caution, if spotted, because tetrodotoxin is dangerous, but the worms themselves do not appear to be secrete enough of the toxin through the skin to be dangerous themselves.

The worms feed primarily on earthworms and "other soil-dwelling invertebrates," Murphy told CNN. They are not a direct threat to crops.

"I don't think there's a need to sound an alarm just yet," Murphy said. "I do think it is prudent to encourage people to continue to report sightings to authorities such as the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Georgia Department of Agriculture, or USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) so we can track their spread."

The species has been in the United States for nearly 100 years and the recent sightings could be connected to greater access to cameras and identification resources, Murphy said.

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