A Virginia resident alerted US wildlife officials to a strange "snake" with a half-moon-shaped head moving in the area.

The resident, who has not been named, called the Virginia Wildlife Service hotline, prompting an investigation.

“We identify thousands of snakes every year, but the problem is that we have never seen anything like this before and we are not sure if it is alien to nature,” the department wrote in a statement.

He reported that the "snake" was actually a hammerhead worm, an invasive species from Asia.

When this worm is cut in half, both sides are still alive, making it "essentially immortal".

Flat hammerworms vary in color and pattern, and some are light in color, and others are dark brown. It can also contain colored patterns that paint their backs.

Although hammerhead flatworms appear harmless, predators feed on earthworms and salamanders, but they are not harmful to humans or pets.

When reproducing, hammerhead flatworms compress a small portion of their nape. Within about 10 days, the head begins to form in a small patch - this happens several times a month.

The worms are said to have moved to the United States through the plant trade decades ago, and have become more common in the area since then.

Years later, there was an infestation in New Orleans, and the professors used the worms as illustration material in zoology classes.

Source: Daily Mail

By:Nadeemy Haded