Flatworm Survey

Flatworm Survey

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Project Summary

Would you like to have fun helping science by looking for flatworms in your gardens and countryside? There are several species, all hiding among the rocks and undergrowth, some native, some invasive aliens. Records will be entered onto the National Biodiversity Network Atlas to help build a picture of UK flatworm distribution!

Need to know

  • Start Date: 03/07/2020
  • End Date: 31/12/2020
  • County: National
  • Organisation Name: Nature Volunteers
  • Project Category: Species surveys

 

Project Description

This project contributes to a national scientific effort to map the distribution of native and invasive alien flatworms. Some are only a few mm long, whereas others can be up to 20cm! They can be brown, yellow and orange and even striped. Some invasive flatworm species eat our native earthworms and other beneficial soil life. This could have an impact on wider soil health, so it is important to understand flatworm distribution.

Scientists need to know where these flatworms are but some species have few or no records! Our surveys aims to help collect more information for one splendidly strippy species, called the Southampton Flatworm which has no records yet on the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas. We are also collecting records for three other species and we have made some easy-to-use ID guides for these here: FlatwormsIDpdf

You can submit your findings via an online form. Please also submit pictures of any flatworms you find if possible
Records will be entered on the NBN Atlas, and we can build a picture of UK flatworm distribution. We will also share results back out with you on our social media this autumn. By the way, if you find other flatworm species in your forays them, you might like to submit them to the bigger Buglife survey here: https://www.buglife.org.uk/flatworm-survey/
Enjoy flatworm finding!