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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that the Beef Tapeworm (Taenia Saginata) is the largest member of its genus? Typically, they measure from 4m-10m long (already quite the variance), but they have been recorded as long as 22m.

Like other tapeworms, they do not have a digestive system. They have a living sheath around their body called a tegument that they use to suction themselves onto their host's digestive tract, absorbing the nutrients that the host should be getting. The distinguishing factor for this worm compared to others (aside from its size) is that the anchoring end of the tegument called the scolex does not have hooks, only suction cups.

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Tapeworms can be found in the digestive system of many animals, but ironically they don’t have a mouth at all! They absorb nutrients through a thick cuticle that runs along the length of the body; because of this, tapeworms also lack a digestive system and a circulatory system.

(Image: A portrait of a pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) by Tereza Zgoda)