A surge of massive, venomous hammerhead flatworms has emerged in North Texas, startling residents as a result of weeks of heavy rainfall.

Adam Ingle, a Keller resident, shared with NBC5 his shock over the appearance of these creatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas, describing them as “terrifying. It felt like the end times, even the worms seemed demonic.”

These foot-long worms, named for their distinctive flat, hammer-shaped heads, are not only unsettling but also dangerous. They release neurotoxins that can cause skin irritation in humans upon contact and can poison pets who ingest them.

The worms pose a threat to local ecosystems by preying on native species, such as earthworms, which are essential for maintaining healthy soil. While hammerhead flatworms have been in Texas for decades, they first arrived in the U.S. from Southeast Asia in the late 1800s and have since spread across the country, from the Pacific Northwest to New York, and now, more recently, to North Texas.

As shown in various viral TikTok videos, the creatures were forced to surface due to the relentless rains, even though they typically prefer to remain buried underground, away from sunlight.

In one chilling clip, the worms squirm on the soil surface like miniature versions of the creatures from the movie Tremors, while another shows a long worm slowly crawling over an envelope. A third video shows one of these bizarre creatures moving across a screen.

“Houstonnn, we have a problem!!” read the caption of one post. “You don’t want this guy in your garden or near your pets!”

Because hammerhead flatworms reproduce asexually, cutting them in half simply results in more worms, making it difficult to rid an area of them.

“Don’t kill it, don’t squish it, don’t cut it up, because it makes three or four more worms,” warned Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, as reported by NBC5. “Tear it in half, now you’ve got two worms.”

Experts recommend placing the worms in a solution of salt and vinegar or bagging them and freezing them for up to 48 hours to dispose of them.

Even if the worms are dead, it’s important for homeowners to handle them with gloves or other protective gear due to their toxic properties.