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Gun slinger

The velvet worm is one of the world's oldest invertebrate species. To catch prey it has developed an unusual shooting style. Like a gun slinger, it has two pistols which fire lasso like strands of glue snaking up to a metre away. It's glue guns weave from side to side and when the strands of glue fall over a victim, it pins them down like a sticky net. This rapid adhesive dries in seconds, capturing the victim and giving the velvet worm time to reach it. Its knife like jaw pierces the prey before sucking it dry.

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1 minute

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