Tasmanipatus

Tasmanipatus barretti, the giant velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. It is the sole species in the genus Tasmanipatus and is ovoviviparous.

== Discovery and naming == Tasmanipatus barretti was described by Ruhberg et al. in 1991. The generic name "Tasmanipatus" refers to the species' distribution in Tasmania, Australia. The specific name "barretti" refers to Australian naturalist Charles Leslie Barrett, who was sent a specimen from St Marys. Barrett is thought to have published the first record of the species, though he did not recognize it as a new species. The animal's common name refers to its size, being fairly large when compared to other Peripatopsids. However, much larger velvet worms exist in the family Peripatidae (see Mongeperipatus solorzanoi).