9/21/2023 0 Comments Flat worms in my pond![]() As the ground dries in summer they move deeper to avoid drying out. As they are very vulnerable to desiccation, they are normally found in damp places such as under stones or logs. ![]() On land, they move through the soil or leaves following cracks or the tunnels of other animals such as earthworms. However, six species can be found living in the soil or amongst leaf litter, of which only two or possibly three are native to Britain. Some of these are widespread and can be abundant, others are very restricted in distribution. ![]() In Britain there are about 29 species of flatworms, of which 23 species are found in freshwater, both ponds and flowing water. They move by a gliding motion using slight muscular contractions aided by cilia on their ventral surface, which move over a thin mucous layer they lay down. As the name suggests, flatworms are flattened dorso-ventrally and have a great capacity to change shape as they can stretch out or contract considerably. Their food is a range of small animals including snails, worms and other invertebrates. Instead they have a gut with a single opening in the centre of their ventral surface from which they are able to extrude the outer part of the gut to engulf and digest their food externally. Unlike the true worms, flatworms are not segmented and do not have a linear gut with a mouth and anus. "Flatworm" is the name normally used for the group of invertebrates called Planarians, an order of the phylum Platyhelminthes. Terrestrial Flatworms Terrestrial Flatworms
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