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( Onychophora)
Peripatidae
Peripatopsidae The velvet worms (Onychophora — literally "claw bearers") form a clade within the Ecdysozoa and can be simply described as "worms with legs". Most common in the Southern Hemisphere, they prey on smaller animals such as insects, which they catch by squirting a sticky slime. In modern zoology they are particularly renowned for their curious mating behaviour and for bearing live young. The Lobopodia, possible ancestors of velvet worms from the Cambrian period, are of great interest in paleontology. Velvet worms are very probably close relatives of the Arthropoda and Tardigrada, with which they form the taxon Panarthropoda. The first type was scientifically described in 1825 by Lansdown Guilding, who regarded them to be modified snails (Gastropods); the name Onychophora was not coined until 1853. Today, they are becoming increasingly popular in the 'exotic pets' trade, due to their bizarre appearance and eating habits.
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Onychophora Subcategories
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