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Barbados Velvet Worm (Epiperipatus barbadensis)

Epiperipatus barbadensis

The Epiperipatus barbadensis, the Barbados Velvet Worm. It is considered a 'living fossil' (Phylum Onychophora, relative of tardigrades and missing link with arthropods), unchanged for over 500 million years. A mysterious, fragile animal and exceptionally rare in captivity: it looks like a turgid, dark pink-reddish 'caterpillar', covered with water-repellent micro-papillae that give it a texture to the touch of pure silk and velvet. Totally lacking an exoskeleton, it breathes through non-closable pores and dies in a very few hours if the environmental humidity drops. It is an infallible nocturnal predator: it possesses two papillae on the sides of its mouth capable of 'shooting' a jet of instant glue (Slime) at a distance (up to 4 inches) that ensnares crickets or small insects in a deadly sticky web, before biting them and digesting them alive. Extremely difficult breeding dedicated to guardians of absolute antiquity.

Taxonomy
Class:Onychophora
Order:Euonychophora
Family:Peripatidae
Genus:Epiperipatus
Species:Epiperipatus barbadensis

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Environment

Terrestrial

Humidity

85 - 100 %

Ambient temperature

20 °C

Day temperature

22 - 26 °C

Night temperature

18 °C

Substrate depth

>= 8 cm

UVB

None

Species description

Geographic Origin and Habitat: The cited checklist gives Barbados Island, St. John, Codrington College as the type locality of Epiperipatus barbadensis. It does not characterise habitat or captive environmental conditions.
Taxonomy and Genetics: The cited checklist treats Epiperipatus barbadensis (Froehlich, 1962) as the current name and lists earlier combinations including Peripatus dominicae barbadensis. It does not report a genetic result for this species.
Behaviour and Habits: The cited checklist does not report species-specific behavioural observations; none are inferred here.
Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism: The cited checklist does not report morphological measurements or sexual-dimorphism data; none are inferred here.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Terrarium Setup: The cited checklist gives a Barbados type locality for Epiperipatus barbadensis, but does not establish enclosure dimensions, substrate or a husbandry protocol.
Lighting and Heating: The cited checklist does not provide captive lighting or temperature parameters; none are inferred here.
Humidity and Hydration: The cited checklist does not provide captive humidity or hydration parameters; none are inferred here.
Feeding and Supplementation: The cited checklist does not provide a captive feeding or supplementation protocol; none is inferred here.
Compatibility and Coexistence: The cited checklist does not test cohabitation or establish compatibility criteria; no recommendation is inferred.
Health and Common Diseases: The cited checklist does not provide a veterinary or disease-management protocol.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

This species originates from: Caraibi (Boschi umidi incontaminati, sottobosco profondo e caverne dell'Isola di Barbados).

Origin

Central America and Caribbean

Terrestrial invertebrate profile

Diet
No verified data available
Life expectancy
No verified data available
Adult size
3.8 cm
The catalog's scalar value is 3.8 cm. The A Peripatus from Barbados — type material source reports a maximum adult measurement of 3.8 cm for this species, recorded as body length. The taxonomic record consulted is Epiperipatus barbadensis. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Lifestyle/Microhabitat
No verified data available
Activity cycle
No verified data available
Sociality
No verified data available
Reproduction
No verified data available
Venom level
No verified data available
Handling tolerance
No verified data available
Brumation
No verified data available
Molting
No verified data available

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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Last updated: 08/10/2026