... Right?
Enter the Bobbit Worm.
Oh god it's going to eat me.
Let's take a look at the similarities here between this worm (which can grow up to 10 feet long) and our fictional tunneler-worms.
✓ Partially submerged in the ground.
✓ Can burrow to escape enemies or catch prey unawares.
✓ Predatory worm that ambushes its prey.
✓ Spines/legs all along the sides of its body.
✓ Poisonous toxins (that can cause permanent numbness in humans).
✓ Serrated mandibles.
✓ Horrifying.
Fun fact: sometimes the egg of a Bobbit Worm ends up on a chunk of coral installed in a saltwater aquarium. Once the worm is big enough, the owner might notice his or her fish disappearing, one at a time... Eventually, all that's left is one massive, hungry worm hiding somewhere in a rock and an otherwise empty tank.
The worms are also immune to most poisons/pesticides and thanks to the toxin-producing tentacles, manual removal isn't an option. The owner's only choice is to dismantle the aquarium (or burn the house down. One of those.)
Not convinced of the Bobbit Worm's horrors? Check out its feeding habits...
Dinner Time
Sleep tight!
