Skip to page content

Primary navigation

Onychophora

The phylum Onychophora contains the class Onychophorida.

These unusual animals are close relatives of the arthropoda due to their:

  • segmented body
  • one pair of legs per segment

One of the characteristics that sets them apart from the arthropods is that onychophorids do not possess a rigid exoskeleton.

  • A velvet worm
    Onychophorida

    Learn more about Onychophorids, the unique animals that are better known as 'velvet worms' due to their velvety cuticle.

Print version

About the name

Onychophora literally means 'claw bearers', referring claws on the end of each of their distinct short legs.