Earthworms are soil's best friends which make the land more fertile and suitable for gardening and farming, these little wriggly creatures mostly come to the surface during the monsoons when the land gets inundated with excessive water. But imagining earthworms as long as a human can be intriguing, but these mammoth invertebrates are more than just a little real.
The huge Gippsland earthworm is native to southeastern Australia and is found mainly in South Gippsland's Bass River Valley. It is believed to be the largest species of worm on earth.
An adult giant Gippsland earthworm measures an average of 3.3 feet and 0.79 inches in length and diameter, respectively, weighing 200 grams on average. However, these long-lived invertebrates can grow to an impressive 9.8 feet in length. They mature in about 5 years of their lifespan. However, their reproductive rate is quite slow. They produce a bubble-like egg that incubates and matures in about a year. Such vast size differentiates them from all the other species of worms and highlights the vast diversity of life that inhabits Earth.
The giant Gippslands thrive the best in clayey subsoil and wet riverbank environments. These habitats provide them the space to burrow down and create their networked habitats. Unlike smaller earthworms, they do not defecate on the surface, they create castings within the ground and wait for the heavy rain to flush out their waste from their burrows.
These creatures are highly sensitive to aboveground vibrations and burrow further underground whenever intruders' footsteps tread near them. They are so huge in size that they produce squelching sounds while moving.
The giant Gippsland earthworm is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Much of its habitats have been cleared for agriculture and other development, fragmenting populations and disrupting the delicate soil conditions that worms need to survive. Conservation efforts are underway for some of the remaining worm habitats, but their future is far from sure.
Honouring this exceptional and rare earthworm, the people of Korumburra town even celebrate it by holding an annual festival of worms with parades, games, and an earthworm queen crowning ceremony.
The huge Gippsland earthworm is native to southeastern Australia and is found mainly in South Gippsland's Bass River Valley. It is believed to be the largest species of worm on earth.
An adult giant Gippsland earthworm measures an average of 3.3 feet and 0.79 inches in length and diameter, respectively, weighing 200 grams on average. However, these long-lived invertebrates can grow to an impressive 9.8 feet in length. They mature in about 5 years of their lifespan. However, their reproductive rate is quite slow. They produce a bubble-like egg that incubates and matures in about a year. Such vast size differentiates them from all the other species of worms and highlights the vast diversity of life that inhabits Earth.
The giant Gippslands thrive the best in clayey subsoil and wet riverbank environments. These habitats provide them the space to burrow down and create their networked habitats. Unlike smaller earthworms, they do not defecate on the surface, they create castings within the ground and wait for the heavy rain to flush out their waste from their burrows.
These creatures are highly sensitive to aboveground vibrations and burrow further underground whenever intruders' footsteps tread near them. They are so huge in size that they produce squelching sounds while moving.
The giant Gippsland earthworm is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Much of its habitats have been cleared for agriculture and other development, fragmenting populations and disrupting the delicate soil conditions that worms need to survive. Conservation efforts are underway for some of the remaining worm habitats, but their future is far from sure.
Honouring this exceptional and rare earthworm, the people of Korumburra town even celebrate it by holding an annual festival of worms with parades, games, and an earthworm queen crowning ceremony.
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