Peripatidae is a family of velvet worms. The oldest putative representatives of the family herald from Burmese amber dated to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 Ma, with representatives from Dominican and Baltic amber attesting to a broader distribution in the Palaeogene / Neogene; molecular variability suggests that the family's crown group may have arisen in the early Mesozoic.
Heteroperipatus is a genus of Central American velvet worms in the Peripatidae family. The number of legs in this genus varies within species as well as among species and ranges from 26 pairs to 32 pairs. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.
Epiperipatus barbadensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is one of the most common velvet worms kept in captivity. This velvet worm is a homogeneous brown on its dorsal surface. The original description of this species is based on female specimens ranging from 17 mm to 32 mm in length. Females of this species have 31 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Barbados.
Epiperipatus adenocryptus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is brown with a series of light brown arcs on each side forming a series of circles down its dorsal surface. Males of this species have 26 or 27 pairs of legs, usually 27; females have 28 to 30, usually 29. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Epiperipatus brasiliensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 29 pairs of legs; females have 31 or 33. This species ranges from 37 mm to 80 mm in length. The type locality is in Pará, Brazil. Epiperipatus vagans from Barro Colorado Island (Panama) was originally described as subspecies of Epiperipatus brasiliensis, but is now treated as a full species.
Epiperipatus cratensis is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species varies from purple to white. Females of this species have 33 or 34 pairs of legs; males have 30 to 33 pairs. The type locality is in Ceará, Brazil.
Epiperipatus diadenoproctus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is brown with a series of light brown arcs on each side forming circles down its back. Males of this species have 26 to 28 pairs of legs, usually 27; females have 29 or 30, usually 29. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Epiperipatus vagans is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The male of this species has 29 or 30 pairs of legs; females have 32 or 33. The type locality is in Panama.
Epiperipatus vespucci is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark with a complex pattern on its dorsal surface. The male of this species has 30 pairs of legs; females have 33 or 34. The type locality is in Colombia.
Epiperipatus paurognostus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is brown with a series of light brown arcs on each side forming circles down its back. Males of this species have 26 or 27 pairs of legs, usually 27; females have 27 to 29, usually 29. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Epiperipatus edwardsii is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 29 to 34 pairs of legs; males have 28 to 30. Females range from 23 mm to 56 mm in length, whereas males range from 25 mm to 30 mm. The type locality is in French Guiana.
Epiperipatus hilkae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark brown with a series of reddish brown hexagons down its back. Males of this species have 25 to 27 pairs of legs; females have 28 to 29. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Epiperipatus machadoi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark brown with a series of light brown arcs on each side forming circles down its back and ranges from 20 mm to 66 mm in length. Males of this species have 27 to 29 pairs of legs, usually 28; females have 28 to 31, usually 31. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Macroperipatus valerioi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 34 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Oroperipatus eisenii is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. Females of this species have 27 to 29 pairs of legs, usually 28; males have 23 to 26. Females range from 30 mm to 57 mm in length, while males range from 20 mm to 23 mm. The type locality is found in central Mexico.
Oroperipatus koepckei is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The original description of this species is based on a single female specimen measuring 40 mm in length. The female of this species has 32 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Peru.
Peripatus evelinae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The male of this species has 33 pairs of legs; females have 35 or 36 leg pairs. This species has more legs than any other species of Peripatus; the females of the other species have at most 34 leg pairs, and the males have at most 32. The original description of P. evelinae was based on two specimens and reported females with 32 and 34 leg pairs, but another examination of these specimens revealed a male with 33 leg pairs and a female with 35 leg pairs instead as well as numerous embryos, including females with 35 and 36 leg pairs. The male specimen is 44 mm long; the female is 65 mm long. The type locality is in Goiás, Brazil.
Peripatus ruber is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species has 30 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Mongeperipatus solorzanoi, or Solórzano's velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Like other neotropical peripatid velvet worms, this species is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.
Macroperipatus ohausi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 27 or 28 pairs of legs. The type locality is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
