The giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolides australis, is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species.
Video Giant Gippsland earthworm
Description
These giant earthworms average 1 metre (3.3 ft) long and 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter and can reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length; however, their body is able to expand and contract making them appear much larger. On average they weigh about 200 grams (0.44 lb). They have a dark purple head and a blue-grey body, and about 300 to 400 body segments.
Maps Giant Gippsland earthworm
Ecology
They live in the subsoil of blue, grey or red clay soils along stream banks and some south or west facing hills of their remaining habitat which is in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. These worms live in deep burrow systems and require water in their environment to respire. They have relatively long life spans for invertebrates and can take 5 years to reach maturity. They breed in the warmer months and produce egg capsules that are 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length which are laid in their burrows. When these worms hatch in 12 months they are around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long at birth.
Unlike most earthworms which deposit castings on the surface, they spend almost all their time in burrows about 52 centimetres (20 in) in depth and deposit their castings there, and can generally only be flushed out by heavy rain. They are usually very sluggish, but when they move rapidly through their underground burrows, it can cause an audible gurgling or sucking sound which allows them to be detected.
Threatened status
Gippsland earthworm colonies are small and isolated, and the species' low reproductive rates and slow maturation make those small populations vulnerable. Their natural habitats are grasslands, and while they can survive beneath pastures, cultivation, heavy cattle grazing and effluent run-off are adversarial to the species. The Gippsland earthworm requires moist loamy soil to thrive; dense tree planting negatively affects soil humidity, which in turn negatively affects the species' habitat. No successful breeding has yet been achieved in captivity.
Education
Until it closed in 2012 amid animal welfare concerns, Wildlife Wonderland Park near Bass, Victoria, was home to the Giant Earthworm Museum. Inside the worm-shaped museum, visitors could crawl through a magnified replica of a worm burrow and a simulated worm's stomach. Displays and educational material on the giant Gippsland earthworm and other natural history of Gippsland were also featured.
See also
- Giant Palouse earthworm - A vulnerable North American species.
- Oregon giant earthworm - A relative of the Palouse earthworm. Specimens have been recorded at 1.3 m (4 feet) long.
- Lake Pedder earthworm - Listed as the first "extinct" worm species from its original unique Tasmanian habitat.
- Lumbricus badensis - Giant (Badish) earthworm.
- Microchaetus rappi - Giant South African earthworm.
References
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Megascolides australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)
The Gaint earth worms up to 4 to 5 feet are seen in Western ghats forest area of India. Specially in Malnad(in the area of Athihally, Hongadahalla, Mavinoor, Bisale ,villages in Sakaleshpur taluk, Hassan district of Karnataka state.)They are visible in heavy rain season, say June, July Agust months. Specially noticed in Cordamom plantations.-
External links
- Giant Gippsland earthworm at the Museum Victoria website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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