Tongue+Worm


 * Common Name:** Tongue Worm
 * Phylum:** Hemichordata
 * Scientific Name:** //Balanoglussos stephensoni//
 * Class:** Pentastomida
 * Location:** The waters of South Africa.
 * Size:** The males are about one inch in length, whereas the females can grow up to 4 inches.
 * Description of Habitat**: Warm, Subtropical waters.
 * Living Requirements:** For a long life a host is needed (for a source of food). This one in particular needs a war climate be cause those reptiles are their preferred hosts.
 * Life Cycle:** Sexual reproduction. The worm will hatch in the body of its host and ravel through the animal (in this case mostly reptiles) to the digestive organs will it will feed ntil it becomes a cyst.
 * Male and Female differences?** The female is much longer than the male. The males will mate with the female closest to their size.

-They were discovered in 1937. -Parasitic http://www.sealifebase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=61039 http://sealifebase.org/Ecology/FishEcologySummary.php?stockcode=6573&genusname=Balanoglossus&speciesname=stephensoni&lang=hindi http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/PENTASTOMIDA.htm [] [] [] [] []
 * Fun-Filled Facts:**
 * Human Impact:** They aren't endangered. However people can ingest them through swallowing larvae in which case, a single infestation will go away in about a year.
 * Information and Picture Resources: (Zookeeper Paige Ryder)**