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Species record

Brown Planarian

Bipalium kewense

Explore the Brown Planarian (Bipalium kewense) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Brown Planarian (Bipalium kewense) is a land-dwelling flatworm native to Southeast Asia. Its broad, half-moon-shaped head gives hammerhead flatworms their name. It lives in humid, sheltered places such as leaf litter and beneath rocks or logs, where it hunts earthworms. The species has spread widely, in part through the movement of plants and soil.

Classification in this archive

Animals › Flatworms › Planarians and relatives › Tricladida › Geoplanidae › Bipalium

Habitat and distribution

Habitat
moist soil, leaf litter, beneath rocks and logs, humid gardens and greenhouses
Regions in this record
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Demonstration note

  • Its wide, half-moon-shaped head looks a bit like a shovel and gives it the hammerhead name.
  • It hunts earthworms and other small soil animals.
  • A small piece from the back of the worm can separate and begin growing a new head.

Sources and attribution