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<\/p>\nMarine expert sees uptick in hammerhead shark sightings off Massachusetts <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Marine expert sees uptick in hammerhead shark sightings off Massachusetts<\/p>\n 01:05<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n A state agency in Maine is warning residents about an invasive species that can sicken your pet. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife posted last week about a “hammerhead worm” that’s been sighted several times over the past few years.<\/p>\n The worms, also known as land planarians, earn their name from their heads that are reminiscent of a hammerhead shark.<\/a> They are native to southeast Asia but have been in the U.S. since 1891, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hammerhead worms are mostly found in the Southeast but have been moving up the East Coast.<\/p>\n “If they become established in Maine, they may impact soil composition and native plant growth,” the department said in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n This is a hammerhead worm. If you are thinking that it doesn’t look like it belongs in Maine, you’re right! But there…<\/p>\n Posted by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife<\/a> on\u00a0Wednesday, August 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n They can also make pets sick if ingested and irritate human skin, the agency added.<\/p>\n According to iNaturalist, a crowdsourcing website for sightings<\/a> of plants and wildlife, hammerhead warms have been spotted from Portland to Bar Harbor in recent years. They’ve been documented even more frequently in Massachusetts and locations further south, the map<\/a> shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyone who finds a hammerhead worm should put in a bag and freeze it for up to 48 hours, experts say. They should throw them away in the trash instead of outside.<\/p>\n “Don’t squish or cut them,” the department said. “That’s how they multiply!” \u00a0<\/p>\n People are encouraged to submit sightings to the iNaturalist website and contact the Maine Warden Service<\/a> if they are spotted in plant soil sold at a store.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n