He slimed me.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

So I'm out in my in law's extremely overgrown yard spraying poison ivy with Roundup and I look down and see what I think is a large earthworm stuck to my bare leg.

So I reach down, pull it off, see stripes and a flattened body, and think "Oh, fuck, it's a baby snake! How's it stuck to me??", and then I realize it's stuck to me because it's dripping with slime. '

Literally. DRIPPING with slime. It's a freaking snot monster.

So I go back to the big earth worm theory, hold it closer to my face, and move on to the "big earthworm eating a leaf" theory. Because it looks like it has a japanese fan stuck to its head. Then I realize the fan IS It's head.

And like any passionate, science-loving, naturalist, I utter the phrase uttered by science lovers from the beginning of time: I am pretty sure I probably said that out loud.

So I bring it into the house, of course, and the husband, predictably, flips out.

Turns out, it was a shovel headed garden worm, or a hammer headed garden worm, Bipalium kewense. Freaking trippy looking creature. Really, very very cool. Not a cool creature to have in our environment because it's not a native and as such potentially damaging. But I am really glad I got to see on up close.

[Dave1982]

"That's great!! Actual, PHYSICAL contact!! Can you move??"

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, I can certainly slide....

[Ratha]

I saw some of those once after a tornado went through my neighborhood when I was a kid. They were trying to get in our back door, and Mom poured salt on them. She thought they were leeches.

[Kara]

Freaking trippy looking creature.

He's an ugly little spud, isn't he?

Having never seen one of those before, I'd have been running around screaming and flailing for a bit. I like weird nature, but not when it's touching me uninvited.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

augh augh augh augh augh

(I'm with Kara on this)

[AnaKhouri]

I think it looks cool! I thought you were going to say it was a leech. I wouldn't mind seeing one of those guys in the yard.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

The husband thought it was a leech, so while I was outside with it, he google searched it. Evidently, a LOT of people think it looks like a leech (I thought it might be a leech of some sort, too.)

So he was able to find it fairly quickly, along in the leech pics on Google. From that, he was able to find people who actually knew what it was.

Internet...so freaking cool.

If I'd gotten a good look at it before I peeled it off with gloved hand thinking it was just a worm, and seen it in all it's alien life form glory, I admit I'd have probably flailed around freaking out, too. I'm not afraid of creepy crawlies, worms, or snakes, but I want to know what I'm dealing with if one is on me.

The do not bite or pose any hazard to humans, but they can cause damage to native populations of earthworms and other small creatures. They are carnivorous.

[Cookie]

.....

Kink, you are a far more calm person than me in these situations. If it was a snake, I would be ok with it but worms...HELL NO! I would have been doing the flaily thing with Kara with a lot of "GET THIS F***ING CREEPY SLIMY THING OFF OF ME!!!!"

[Kogarashi]

Having never seen one of those before, I'd have been running around screaming and flailing for a bit. I like weird nature, but not when it's touching me uninvited.

augh augh augh augh augh

(I'm with Kara on this)

Count me in on the panicking. Just the photo is making my skin crawl.

[dendawg]

So you came and you saw, but you didn't kick it's ass?

[Dreamstalker]

He's an ugly little spud, isn't he?

I think he can hear you.

"That's the problem with nature. Something is always biting, stinging, or oozing mucus on you."

[monolayth]

EW.

Seriously, I might have nightmares just from looking at it. I cannot imagine the therapy and booze needed for me to recover from touching it.

[BookstoreEscapee]

augh augh augh augh augh

(I'm with Kara on this)

Ditto that. Ick.

[MoonCat]

OK, I like snakes, and worms don't bother me...but that's kinda...weird.