Peripatidae is a family of velvet worms. This family includes more than 90 described species distributed among 13 genera, but some authorities deem only 80 of these species to be valid. The oldest putative representatives of the family herald from Burmese amber dated to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago, 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.
Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families. 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 French zoologist Eugène Louis Bouvier proposed this family in 1905 with Peripatopsis as the type genus.
Metaperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae that contains two species found in Chile, including Metaperipatus inae. This genus was created by the American zoologist Austin Hobart Clark in 1913 to contain the type species, M. blainvillei. Authorities believe M. blainvillei is a species complex, however, and some consider M. blainvillei a nomen dubium.
Paropisthopatus is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species Paropisthopatus umbrinus. Females of this species range from 20 mm to 70 mm in length. The type locality is in central Chile. Velvet worms in this genus have 16 pairs of legs. This genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta.
Eoperipatus horsti is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Authorities have designated this velvet worm as the type species for the genus Eoperipatus, because among the species originally included in this genus, this species is the only one known from descriptions of both sexes. This species is found in Malaysia.
Epiperipatus cratensis is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species is found in northeastern Brazil. This velvet worm is notable as a small species of Epiperipatus with many legs.
Epiperipatus edwardsii is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. 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 found in Costa Rica. This velvet worm is closely related to another species of Epiperipatus found in Costa Rica, E. isthmicola. The species E. hilkae is named in honor of the German zoologist Hilke Ruhberg for her extensive work on velvet worms.
Epiperipatus isthmicola is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is a dark brown, almost black, without any pattern on its dorsal surface. Females of this species have 29 to 32 pairs of legs; males have 26 or 27. Females range from 20 mm to 73 mm in length, whereas males range from 20 mm to 48 mm. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Macroperipatus torquatus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species has a brown or red back with a bright yellow collar, a black head with black antennae, a white underside with a red tint, and 37 to 42 pairs of legs. These velvet worms range from 100 mm to 150 mm in length. This species is notable for its numerous legs and its large size, with mature females ranging from 1.75 g to as much as 5.68 g in weight. This species is found in Trinidad.
Euperipatoides leuckartii is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is ovoviviparous and has 15 pairs of oncopods (legs). Females of this species range from 5 mm to 40 mm in length, whereas males range from 4 mm to 29 mm. The type locality of this species is Mount Tomah, New South Wales, Australia.
Oroperipatus lankesteri is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This velvet worm is notable for its large size, reaching 82 mm in length. This species is known only from its type locality in the northern Pacific lowlands of Ecuador.
Oroperipatus peruvianus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 34 pairs of legs; females have 36 or 37 pairs. This velvet worm is found in Peru.
Peripatus danicus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 31 to 33 pairs of legs; males have 26 to 28. Females range from 26 mm to 45 mm in length, whereas males range from 9 mm to 21 mm. The type locality is in Saint Thomas Island.
Peripatus dominicae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The type locality for this species is on the Caribbean island of Dominica. Although the Canadian zoologist Stewart Peck introduced the name Peripatus dominicae dominicae in 1975 to distinguish the original species from other subspecies then assigned to P. dominicae, authorities now deem these subspecies to be separate species in light of the significant distances between their type localities.
Ooperipatellus insignis is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. Females of this species range from 5 mm to 39 mm in length, while males range from 4 mm to 30 mm in length. This species has 14 pairs of legs and is found in Victoria, Australia.
Ooperipatus oviparus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Females of this species range from 4 mm to 60 mm in length, whereas males range from 4 mm to 20 mm. This species lays eggs and has 15 pairs of legs with claws. It is found in Victoria, Australia.
Paraperipatus keiensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Females of this species have 24 or 25 pairs of legs; males have 22 or 23 leg pairs. The type locality is in Kai Besar in Indonesia.
Peripatopsis sedgwicki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Also known as the Tsitsikamma velvet worm, this species has a narrow geographic distribution in South Africa but is especially abundant in the indigenous forest of the Tsitsikamma mountains. Recent phylogenetic analysis using molecular data finds that Peripatopsis sedgwicki as traditionally understood based on morphology is a species complex that contains four different species: P. sedgwicki s.s., P. orientalis, P. collarium, and P. margaritarius.
Peripatopsis leonina, the Lion's Hill velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 20 to 24 pairs of legs, usually 21 or 22 leg pairs, with the last pair of legs reduced. Females of this species range from 7 mm to 41 mm in length, whereas males range from 7 mm to 34 mm.
