Texas rain set to bring out horrifying giant poisonous worms that regenerate as two if they’re cut in half

Heavy rains in Texas will bring out terrifying poisonous worms that can regenerate if cut in half.

Not only will the citizens of Houston experience damp weather but they will also be greeted by nightmarish hammerhead flatworms.

The insects – which have a hammer-shaped head (hence the name) – can reach up to 15 inches in size and are covered in toxic slime that can irritate the skin if touched.

In addition to this, the pests are known to carry parasites and can be fatal to pets if consumed.

The hammerhead flatworm can make animals sick and cause skin irritation in humans. Credit: Education Images / Getty

The insects can be found dispersed on sidewalks, roads, and lawns after rainstorms wash them out of their underground shelters.

Eliminating them will not be easy as they are regenerative, which means they can recuperate fully when chopped in half, and not to freak you out… they will also double in count.

“It will regenerate,” Ashley Morgan-Olvera, M.S., of the Texas Invasive Species Institute told KHOU. “So if you chop it into two pieces, you get two worms,” she added.

Instead, the expert strongly advises people to put on a pair of gloves and place the worms in a plastic bag with salt and vinegar or citrus oil before placing them in the freezer overnight.

Even if the worms are dead, you should not touch them. But if you do, officials urge you to immediately wash the affected area with soap and water, followed by applying hand sanitizer.

If a pet ingests the insect, please contact a veterinarian immediately.

The worms are flushed out onto lawns and streets after heavy rains and flooding. Credit: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty

The hammerhead worm is native to Asia and is believed to have entered the US through plant trade routes, per Austin American Statesman.

They’re mostly found in the Southeast U.S., with confirmed populations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, California, Florida and Georgia.

The insects prey on earthworms, which are essential for natural environments. They paralyze them by covering them with their poisonous slime before extending out their “mouth” over part of the earthworm’s body and eating it, Dr. Blake Layton Jr., an entomology expert with Mississippi State University, told KHOU.

Furthermore, it is revealed that the hammerhead can reproduce asexually and create new worms that are genetically identical to the parent.

As Dr. Layton Jr explains: “A portion of the rear of the worm breaks off and grows a new head, producing a new flatworm genetically identical to its parent, a literal ‘chip off the old block.'”

This means that a single hammerhead worm can quickly become numerous worms, distributing its toxic slime and parasites throughout your yard.

Stay safe!