LOCAL NEWS AT 6:00.
SHELBY: HI ROBERT.
HI SHELBY.
SHELBY: HE'S BACK FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
EXTENSION.
AS YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE HE BROUGHT
JAPANESE BEETLES.
I THINK HE'S TRYING TO GROSS ME
OUT.
TODAY I HEAR IT'S WORSE BUT IT'S
NOT ON MY TABLE.
IT IS WORSE.
ONE OF THE TOP ONE HUNDRED WORST
INVASETIVE PESTS ON THE PLANET.
SHELBY: SOUNDS LIKE AN
ALIEN.
IT IS.
BUT THERE'S A VIDEO WE HAVE
COMING UP.
SHELBY: OKAY.
HERE COMES THE VIDEO.
WE'LL SEE.
THERE IT IS.
THAT IS A PLANARIAN.
A HAMMER HEAD WORM.
SHELBY: COULD YOU NOT HAVE
PUT IT ON A REGULAR PLATE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TOUCH
THE THING.
YOU SCOOP IT ONTO WHATEVER YOU
HAVE IN HAND.
THE HAMMER HEAD SHAPE IS ON IT.
SHELBY: I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT HAS VEINS ON IT.
IT LOOKS SLIMMY BECAUSE IT IS.
IT LEAVES A TRAIL LIKE A SLUG.
THIS IS A PLANARIAN.
HERE'S THE GROSS PART.
SHELBY: AS IF THAT WASN'T
BAD ENOUGH.
THIS ONE, WELL, THIS IS A
ANIMAL THAT IS A TOP PREDATOR OF
SOIL ORGANISM.
IT'S THE GRIZZLY BEAR OF THE
SOIL WORLD.
WHAT IT DOES IT EATS EARTHWORMS,
SNAILS, SLUGS, ALL THE GOOD
THINGS WE HAVE IN OUR
ENVIRONMENT THAT TAKE OFF THE
DEAD PLANT AND CONVERT THEM TO
FERTILIZER.
IT EATS BOTH BUT NOTHING EATS
THE PLANARIAN.
WE DISCOVERED SOME IN GREEN
COUNTY.
WE HAVE A MASTER GARDENER
FACEBOOK PAGE.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THERE
POSTED A PICTURE OF THIS CRITTER
AND SAID WHAT IS THIS?
I HAVE IT IN MY GARDEN.
IT'S CRAWLING ON MY DRIVEWAY.
THERE'S LIKE A SNAKE.
SHELBY: I SAW THAT.
WHEN YOU THREATEN IT IT'LL RAISE
ITS HEAD LIKE A SNAKE DOES.
THE HAMMER HEAD.
THAT ONE THERE WAS MAYBE TWO,
THREE INCHES LONG.
THEY CAN GROW OVER A FOOT.
SHELBY: MY WORD.
THEY CAN GET BIG.
SHELBY: TURN THE CHANNEL,
MOM.
I KNOW SHE'S GETTING SICK.
WE CAN'T STAND ANYTHING LIKE
THIS.
HERE'S THE GOOD PART IS
HOW THEY EAT.
THEY CAN EAT ALMOST ANY LIVING
CREATURE THEY COME ACROSS.
IF IT'S SMALL ENOUGH.
THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO ATTACK
CRITTERS THAT ARE ONE HUNDRED
TIMES THEIR BODY WEIGHT.
SHELBY: LIKE WHAT?
A MOUSE?
>> ANYTHING THAT'S DOWN ON
THE GROUND.
HERE'S HOW THEY DO IT.
THEY ARE SNAKE LIKE.
SO THEY GET UP AND WRAP
THEMSELVES AROUND IT AND INTO IT
AND THEIR BODIES EXUDE THIS KIND
OF CHEMICAL THAT DISSOLVES THE
CREATURE.
THEN THEY EAT IT.
IT IS GREAT FOR SLUGS,
EARTHWORMS, CENTIPEDES.
SPIDER AND THAT STUFF.
SHELBY: I NEED MY CHAIR.
THE BAD PART IS THAT
IT'LL BE OKAY.
THE BAD PART IS DEVASTATING TO
THE ENVIRONMENT.
NO ONE IS REALLY STUDIED HOW BAD
THEY ARE.
WE KNOW THEY ARE BAD.
THESE THINGS ARE FIRST
DISCOVERED BY CHARLES DARWIN WAY
BACK WHEN HE FIRST FOUND THEM IN
TASMANIA.
HE WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THEM
LIVING ON LAND.
USUALLY THEY ARE IN TROPICAL
WATERS.
IN TASMANIA THEY ARE ON LAND.
HE BRINGS THEM BACK TO EUROPE TO
STUDY THEM THERE.
NOW THEY ARE RUNNING AROUND
EUROPE.
THEY ARE IN ENGLAND AND OTHER
PLACES AND THERE'S MANY
DIFFERENT SPECIES OFTEN IN
TROPICAL AREAS.
IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE NEXT
VIDEO.
IF YOU FIND ONE OF THESE THEY
ARE SHIPPED AROUND IN POTTED
PLANTS, SOIL.
THEY GET MOVED AROUND.
MOSTLY FROM FLORIDA AND
LOUISIANA WHERE THEY'VE
ESTABLISHED DOWN THERE.
FROM THE TROPICAL PLACES THAT
GOT SHIPPED IN THAT WAY.
THEY CAN BE SHIPPED UP HERE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE
THINGS AND SEE ONE IT NEEDS TO
BE DESTROYED.
SHELBY: DEFINITELY.
DON'T JUST CHOP IT UP
WITH A SHOVEL BECAUSE THE PIECES
WILL REGENERATE.
SHELBY: THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
THIS IS THE PERFECT
SCI-FI THING.
IF YOU SEE ONE OF THESE GET IT
IN A PLASTIC BAG AND YOU CAN
BRING IT TO YOUR EXTENSION
OFFICE AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT
FOR YOU OR LEAVE IT IN THERE AND
JUST LET IT FRY.
DON'T CHOP IT UP.
EVEN IF YOU PUT IT IN THE
FREEZER TO KILL US THEY TELL US
SOMETIMES THEY REGENERATE.
SHELBY: GETTING IT TO YOUR
OFFICE.
HAMMER HEAD WORM.
SHELBY: I THINK YOU TOPPED
THEM ALL WITH THAT ONE.
THANK GOODNESS YOU DIDN'T BRING
THAT.
I HEARD IT WAS A WORM.
WORMS DON'T BOTHER ME.
I PICK UP WORMS AND SAVE THEIR
LIFE.
THIS WILL GET YOUR
ATTENTION.
SHELBY: THAT WAS
INTERESTING.
YOU'LL HAVE MORE FOR US IN A
LITTLE WHILE.
A SMOOTHER SUBJECT.
