Tasmanian Velvet Worms

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Identification

All Tasmanian velvet worms are in Phylum Onychophora, Class Onychophora, Order Onychophora, Family Peripatopsidae.


Key to species:

1a.  15 pairs of walking legs (ovoviviparous spp.)
                Go to  2
1b.  14 pairs of walking legs (oviparous spp.)
                Go to  4

 

 

2a.  Body dark blue-gray with tan or orange patterning; southern and western Tasmania
                Ovoviviparous 'Tasmania' species

 'Tasmania' sp

2b.  Body white or pink/mauve; northern East Coast only
                Go to 3

 

 


3a.  Body pure white
                Tasmanipatus anophthalmus

 BVW

3b.  Body pink or mauve on top, white beneath
                Tasmanipatus barretti

 GVW

 

4a.  Body pale blue or lilac with blue mid-dorsal stripe; northwest Tasmania only
                Ooperipatellus cryptus

 cryptus

4b.  Body variously coloured, often richly patterned
                Other Ooperipatellus species

 other 14

Images of T. anophthalmus and 'Tasmania' sp. on this page from photos by Claudia Brockmann and Dave Watts, respectively; used with permission.