New Zealand Flatworms
Not all animals are soft and cuddly and the New Zealand Flatworm confirms this stark fact. European Settlers have had a devastating effect on the native birds of New Zealand by introducing a wide variety of predators. It seems only fair for New Zealand to get a little revenge.
The New Zealand flatworm was first detected in gardens in Belfast in 1963 and from Ireland it soon spread to Scotland. It continues to be more common in the north of the UK than the south. Quite apart from looking distinctly unpleasant and being flat and slimy the New Zealand flatworm is also undesirable because it feeds on earthworms. There were fears not only for earthworms but also for the animals that feed on earthworms like moles. It wraps itself around the unfortunate worm and secretes a mucus that contains enzymes to digest the worm into a nutritious liquid that the flatworm then absorbs.
It was feared that it might wipe out the great British earthworm (actually many different species) but this has proved to be an unwarranted concern. It seems that something of a predator / prey balance has been achieved.
I don’t know how common or otherwise this invasive species might be at Rannoch, but I do know that they have been found at Dùn Coillich. They were discovered under carpet that had been spread to control weeds around growing trees in the tree nursery. They were curled in the spiral shapes that they seem to favour.
Apparently there is no way of controlling them. You can squash a few but that is not likely to do much to reduce the population. Humans have taken the biodiversity of the planet and stirred it vigorously and there is nothing now that we can do to undo that which we have done. In a million or so years, if we stop stirring, Nature will come to a new balance. We might not be a part of it, of course.
(27th December 2019)