Onychophora

Onychophora, commonly known as velvet worms, are soft-bodied invertebrates that resemble caterpillars with many legs. They are atmospheric forgers found mainly in moss, leaf litter, and soil in tropical and subtropical regions. Velvet worms use a unique hunting method: they eject a sticky, glue-like substance to trap prey, then consume it. They are slow-moving, have rounded bodies, and possess multiple pairs of stubby legs enabling them to crawl smoothly. Onychophora are important for understanding evolution, as they share traits with both annelids and arthropods, making them key to studying the transition of complexity in early animals.