Bipalium

***Bipalium*** is a genus of large predatory land planarians. They are often called "**hammerhead worms**" or "**broadhead planarians**" because of their head shape. Several species are considered as invasive to the United States and Europe. Some studies have been done on the evolution and ecology in these planarians.

The name *Bipalium* comes from Latin *bi-*, “two” + *pala*, “shovel” or “spade”. This is because their heads look like a pickaxe.

## Species 
The genus *Bipalium* currently has the following species:

**Bipalium adensameri* 
**Bipalium admarginatum* 
**Bipalium adventitium* 
**Bipalium albo-coeruleus* 
**Bipalium alternans* 
**Bipalium bengalensis* 
**Bipalium bergendali* 
**Bipalium bimaculatum* 
**Bipalium chhatarpurensis* 
**Bipalium choristosperma* 
**Bipalium costaricensis* 
**Bipalium crassatrium* 
**Bipalium distinguendum* 
**Bipalium dubium* 
**Bipalium fuscatum* 
**Bipalium fuscolineatum* 
**Bipalium gestroi* 
**Bipalium glandiantrum* 
**Bipalium glandulosa* 
**Bipalium glaucum* 
**Bipalium gracilis* 
**Bipalium graffi* 
**Bipalium haberlandti* 
**Bipalium hilgendorfi* 
**Bipalium interruptum* 
**Bipalium janseni* 
**Bipalium javanum* 
**Bipalium kaburakii* 
**Bipalium katoi* 
**Bipalium kewense* 
**Bipalium kisoense* 
**Bipalium kraepelini* 
**Bipalium manubriatum* 
**Bipalium marginatum* 
**Bipalium mjobergi* 
**Bipalium mondimentum* 
**Bipalium monolineatum* 
**Bipalium moseleyi* 
**Bipalium muninense* 
**Bipalium myadenosium* 
**Bipalium nigrum* 
**Bipalium nobile* 
**Bipalium ochroleucum* 
**Bipalium pennsylvanicum* 
**Bipalium penrissenicum* 
**Bipalium penzigi* 
**Bipalium persephone* 
**Bipalium poiense* 
**Bipalium rigaudi* 
**Bipalium robiginosum* 
**Bipalium semperi* 
**Bipalium simrothi* 
**Bipalium strubelli* 
**Bipalium sudzukii* 
**Bipalium sylvestre* 
**Bipalium tetsuyai* 
**Bipalium unistriatus* 
**Bipalium univittatum* 
**Bipalium vagum* 
**Bipalium virile* 
**Bipalium weismanni* 
**Bipalium wiesneri* 

## Feeding habits 
*Bipalium* species are predatory. Some species eat earthworms. Others eat mollusks. These flatworms can track their prey. When they eat earthworms, they begin to react to the attack. The flatworm then uses the muscles in its body to attach itself to the earthworm to make it so it can't escape.

## Reproduction 
Reproduction in *Bipalium* may be asexual or sexual. All species are hermaphroditic.

*B. adventitium* reproduces sexually. They make egg capsules which hatch about 3 weeks later. The egg capsules have a tough outside. They usually have multiple children. Children of this species aren't the same colors as their parents when they are young. This is unlike other species.

## Toxicity 
In 2014, tetrodotoxin, a very dangerous neurotoxin, was  found in *B. adventitium* and *B. kewense*. It is the first record of tetrodotoxin in terrestrial invertebrates.

## Gallery 

File:Bipalium kewense sighted in Austin, Texas 02.JPG|*Bipalium kewense* sighted in Austin, Texas
File:Bipalium kewense sighted in Austin, Texas 01.JPG|Close up of head of *Bipalium kewense*
File:Bipalium from GA.jpg|Specimen of *Bipalium* found in Georgia, United States
File:Hammerhead worm 2.jpg|Hammerhead worm found in Kerala, India
File:Hammer Headed Worm.jpg|Hammerhead worm found in Chennai and Coimbatore , INDIA
File:Bipalium kewense.ogv|Video of a *Bipalium* sp. from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
File:Hammerhead Worm.jpg|A hammerhead worm seen in Kolkata, India
File:Bipalium, Kayamkulam, Alappyzha, Kerala, India.jpg|Bipalium found in Kerala, India 03.08.2021
File:Bipalium, Kayamkulam, Kerala, India.jpg|alt=Bipalium|Hammer headed worm / snail found in Kerala, India

## References 
## Other websites 
* *Bipalium*  from Kerala, India.
* *Bipalium* by University of Maine Turbellarian taxonomic database
* Land planarians by Texas A&M University Insects in the City
* Photograph of *B. adventitium* 
* Photograph of *B. nobile*
* Photograph of *B. simrothi*