Recent Examples on the WebAs Ed Yong at The Atlantic reports, horsehair worms can survive being swallowed by insects and can even escape the digestive tracts of larger animals. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 21 Feb. 2018 The creatures start out as eggs laid in freshwater, where most species of horsehair worm primarily live. Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 27 Sep. 2017 According to Hanelt, one of his colleagues found horsehair worms nearly seven feet long in the wild. Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 27 Sep. 2017