Common name : Velvet worm
Scientific name: Peripatoides indigo
Family : Peripatopsidae
Native to : New Zealand
Interesting fact : Known as a ‘living fossil’ because it has changed considerably over 500 million years, the peripatus is said to be the link between annelids and arthropods.
About 60 mm in length, the natural habitat of the indigo peripatus is leaf litter, the underside of stones and longs. Females lay 10-20 eggs a year, with the total lifespan of this creature extending to 5 years. Their diet is comprised of rats, birds and hedgehogs. They catch their prey by emitting a sticky fluid to trap the prey.
