''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of

velvet worms Onychophora (from , , "claws"; and , , "to carry"), commonly known as velvet worms (for their velvety texture and somewhat wormlike appearance) or more ambiguously as peripatus (after the first described genus, '' Peripatus''), is a phylum of e ...

in the

Peripatopsidae Peripatopsidae or the Southern Velvet Worms are one of two extant families of velvet worm. This family includes more than 140 described species distributed among 41 genera, but some authorities deem only 131 of these species to be valid. The Fre ...

family. These velvet worms are found in the

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

, and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

provinces of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. This genus was proposed by the British

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

Reginald I. Pocock in 1894 with ''

Peripatopsis capensis ''Peripatopsis capensis'' is a species of Onychophora, velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family (biology), family. This species has 18 pairs of legs: 17 pregenital leg pairs with claws plus one strongly reduced last pair without claws or spinous ...

'' designated as the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

Description

The number of legs in this genus ranges from as few as 16 pairs (e.g., in '' P. clavigera'') to as many as 25 pairs (in '' P. moseleyi'') and varies within species when the number is greater than 18 pairs. Velvet worms in this genus feature a last pair of legs (the genital pair) that is rudimentary or reduced in size, mainly in males. The feet in this genus feature three distal papillae: two anterior and one posterior. The

gonopore A gonopore, sometimes called a gonadopore, is a genital pore in many invertebrates. Hexapods, including insects, have a single common gonopore, except mayflies, which have a pair of gonopores. More specifically, in the unmodified female, it is ...

in the male is cross-shaped but in the female takes the form of a longitudinal slit.

Reproduction

This genus exhibits

matrotrophic Matrotrophy is a form of maternal care during organism development, associated with live birth (viviparity), in which the embryo of an animal or flowering plant is supplied with additional nutrition from the mother (e.g. through a placenta). This ...

viviparity In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juv ...

, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. Eggs are fertilized through dermal insemination. Males place

spermatophores A spermatophore, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (''spérma''), meaning "seed", and -φόρος (''-phóros''), meaning "bearing", or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially ...

on the skin of females, which allows the entry of sperm at the point of contact. Embryonic development in this genus takes 12 to 13 months, during which the mother contains up to 20 embryos, all at about the same stage of development. The young are born alive tail first, one or two at a time, all within a short period of time. The young resemble adults in form but are smaller.

Species

The genus ''Peripatopsis'' consists of the following species: * ''

Peripatopsis aereus ''Peripatopsis aereus'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is known only from the Riviersonderend Mountains in South Africa. This velvet worm was discovered living in sympatry with another species in the same ge ...

'' Daniels & Nieto Lawrence, 2024 * ''

Peripatopsis alba ''Peripatopsis alba'', the white cave velvet worm, is a species of Onychophora, velvet worm in the family (biology), family Peripatopsidae. This species is notable as one of only two species of velvet worm known to be List of troglobites, troglob ...

'' Lawrence, 1931 — white cave velvet worm * '' Peripatopsis balfouri'' (Sedgwick, 1885) * ''

Peripatopsis barnardi ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. P ...

'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * '' Peripatopsis birgeri'' Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013 * ''

Peripatopsis bolandi ''Peripatopsis bolandi'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. balfouri'' species complex and ranges from 18 mm to 22 mm in length. Also known as the Boland velvet worm, this species is fo ...

'' Daniels et al., 2013 * ''

'' (Grube, 1866) * ''

Peripatopsis cederbergiensis ''Peripatopsis cederbergiensis'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. balfouri'' species complex. Males of this species have 17 clawed legs with the last pair highly reduced, whereas femal ...

'' Daniels et al., 2013 * '' Peripatopsis clavigera'' Purcell, 1899 — Knysna velvet worm * ''

Peripatopsis collarium ''Peripatopsis collarium'' is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This velvet worm is a point endemic known only from a small sample found in the Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve in South Africa. The species name of ''P. collari ...

'' Barnes & Daniels, 2024 * ''

Peripatopsis edenensis ''Peripatopsis edenensis'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. clavigera'' species complex. This species has 16 pairs of legs, varies from slate black to charcoal, and ranges from 4 mm t ...

'' Barnes et al., 2020 * ''

Peripatopsis fernkloofi ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. P ...

'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * ''

Peripatopsis ferox ''Peripatopsis ferox'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. clavigera'' species complex. This species has 17 pairs of legs, varies from slate black to brown, and ranges from 17 mm to 28 mm ...

'' Barnes et al., 2020 * ''

Peripatopsis hamerae ''Peripatopsis hamerae'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. moseleyi'' species complex. The original description of this species is based on one specimen of each sex, each measuring 22 m ...

'' Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013 * ''

Peripatopsis intermedia ''Peripatopsis intermedia'' is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species is about 33 mm long and has 19 pairs of legs: 18 pregenital leg pairs plus a last pair of much reduced legs. The type locality is in South Africa ...

'' Hutchinson, 1928 * ''

Peripatopsis janni ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. P ...

'' Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013 * ''

Peripatopsis jonkershoeki ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of Onychophora, velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British Zoology, zo ...

'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * '' Peripatopsis kogelbergi'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * '' Peripatopsis landroskoppie'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * '' Peripatopsis lawrencei'' McDonald et al., 2012 * ''

Peripatopsis leonina ''Peripatopsis leonina'', commonly known as the Lion's Hill velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. Endemic to South Africa, it has not been seen since 1912 and is thought to be critically endangered or possibly ext ...

'' Purcell, 1899 — Lion's Hill velvet worm * ''

Peripatopsis limietbergi ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. P ...

'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * ''

Peripatopsis margaritarius ''Peripatopsis margaritarius'' is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This velvet worm is a point endemic found only in the Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve in South Africa. This species was discovered as a clade within the ''Peripat ...

'' Barnes & Daniels, 2024 * '' Peripatopsis mellaria'' Barnes et al., 2020 * '' Peripatopsis mira'' Barnes et al., 2020 * ''

Peripatopsis moseleyi ''Peripatopsis moseleyi'' is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Males of this species (as traditionally defined) have 20 to 24 pairs of legs with claws (plus one pair without claws); females have 19 to 23 pairs of legs with cl ...

'' (Wood-Mason, 1879) * ''

Peripatopsis orientalis ''Peripatopsis orientalis'' is a species of Onychophora, velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae Family (biology), family. This species was discovered as one of four clades within the ''Peripatopsis sedgwicki'' species complex. Each clade represents a s ...

'' Barnes & Daniels, 2024 * '' Peripatopsis overbergiensis'' McDonald et al., 2012 — Overberg velvet worm * '' Peripatopsis palmeri'' Daniels & Barnes, 2025 * '' Peripatopsis polychroma'' Grobler et al., 2023 * ''

Peripatopsis purpureus ''Peripatopsis purpureus'' is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the '' P. balfouri'' species complex. Males of this species have 17 clawed legs with the last pair highly reduced, whereas females ha ...

'' Daniels et al., 2013 * ''

Peripatopsis sedgwicki ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. P ...

'' Purcell, 1899 — Tsitsikamma velvet worm * '' Peripatopsis storchi'' Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013 * '' Peripatopsis tulbaghensis'' Barnes et al., 2020

References

Endemic fauna of South Africa Onychophorans of temperate Africa Onychophoran genera Taxa named by R. I. Pocock Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Onychophora-stub