Photo: Getty Images
The hammerhead worm has been spotted all over the Southern United States in recent years.
In Texas, this invasive species has been found in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, according to Only In Your State. These foot-long worms have an appetite for earth worms. They also secrete a neurotoxic venom and are "basically immortal."
The hammerhead worm, which is indigenous to Southeast Asia, is easily recognizable by the shape of its head — a hammerhead. These worms prefer to live in the soil, but rain forces them to leave their homes. They're predatory and sometimes tough to spot, posing a threat to local ecosystems.
If you do come across a hammerhead worm, you shouldn't cut it in half, which is the most common way to kill a worm. This worm will grow into two separate worms if cut in half. Instead, you should dissolve it in a salt and vinegar solution or place it in a plastic bag and throw it away.
However you decide to dispose of the hammerhead worm, don't handle it with your bare hands — it secretes a neurotoxic venom to ward off predators similar to that of a pufferfish.