Strange, Slimy Creature Spotted in Western Kentucky

Let's talk slimy creatures. Want to? Okay, okay, I heard the groans in the back, but this is really fascinating, if a bit creepy. We've had an eyewitness account of a bizarre, slimy thing in western Kentucky, and we want to get to the bottom of it.

Leeches in Kentucky?

First of all, we've immediately ruled out slugs. I've seen enough of them and stepped on enough of them to be very familiar with their appearance. But this thing? Not so much.

Is It a 'Slow Worm'?

Without any definitive identification available, I went the Google Lens route, which suggested it was a "slow worm." I thought all worms were slow, but what do I know? I'm no vermeologist.

Then, I asked ChatGPT to help me out, and it suggested it was some kind of leech. And, in fact, that matches up with multiple comments on the Facebook post.

Suzanne Schultz - "Ground leech. I see them often in the local western Kentucky area."

Travis Bauer - "Horse leech or mud leech."

Dora Bowman - "They're are called dirt leeches I think."

And they weren't alone in their amateur assessments.

Is It a Salamander?

By the way, Google Gemini swears up and down it's a three-toed amphiuma, a type of salamander. It identified what it was certain were tiny limbs, but I couldn't see any and wondered if it thought the grass that was attached to the creature were legs. Then I found this and was certain Gemini's assessment certainly was lacking.

The creature in the Facebook post has a head that comes to a point, and the amphiuma seen here (and elsewhere, honestly) are much bigger and have definitive eyes and limbs.

So, how about we go with a mud leech or ground leech? Sound good? Of maybe we just avoid them altogether since that's what they might be. No bloodsuckers, I always say.