According to the Britannica, worms are creatures without any vertebral coloumn. They have soft and elongated and cylindrical bodies without any eyes and limbs.
The bodies of the earthworms are made of ring-like segments that are covered in tiny bristle-like hair which helps in locomotion of these earthworms. Their skin also emits a lubricating fluid which makes it easier for them to move underground and make burrows and akso keeps their skin moist.
Antonishingly, one of the Australian species can shoot up this fluid as far as 12 inches through its skin! The size of earthworms varies from species to species and while some are only about an inch long, others grow up to lengths of 10 feet! These long, snake-like earthworms are found in the tropics.
5. Kinabalu Giant Earthworm
Size: 2.3 feet Location: Malaysia, New Guinea, Borneo
At 2.3 feet, the Kinabalu Giant Earthworm is an awe-inspiring creature. It is greyish blue in colour and lives in burrows around Paka cave shelter. These earthworms come to the surface only during heavy rainfall.
They have a beautiful skin and the hair on their skin can be seen only with a microscope. They also emit a greenish iridescent gloss at times. The Kinabalu Giant Red earthworms are found at an altitude of up to 3,000 meters.
4. North Auckland Worm
Size: 4.5 feet Location: New Zealand
Reaching lengths of 4.5 feet and 11 mm in diameter, the North Auckland earthworm is one of the largest in New Zealand. They dig burrows that are 20 mm in diameter and reach depths of upto 3.5 meter.
The scientific name of this earthworm is Anisochaeta gigantea and the latter part of this anme speaks for itself. However, its massive size is not the most attractive thing of this earthworm. During nigh time, this earthworm emits a bright orange-yellow light at night.
The North Auckland earthworm makes its burrows beneath stacks of leaves in forests and even though they glow at night, they hardly get noticed. Earthworms in general do not have any eyes, and so they can’t even see each other. Moreover, since they dwell underground, nobody can see them either.
A fun fact about this earthworm is that they have twice as many hair as compared to normal earthworms and looks unshaven! This is a very hairy, fluorescent and giant earthworm and the more we learn about it, the weirder it gets!
3. Large Boded Earthworms of Ecuador
Size: 4.9 feet Location: Ecuador
At almost 5 feet in length, these earthworms weigh over a massive 500 grams. This earthworm was found in the rich soils of Sumaco volcano in Ecaudor.
Specialists say that this earhtworm might be a speciman of Martiodrilus Crassus, meaning a worm that feeds on dogs and small children in Latin. For its spotting of the week, this earthworm was chosen by Project Noah.
2. South African Giant Earthworms
Size: 6.6 feet Location: South Africa
A giant earthworm was discovered in 1967 that measured 21 feet in length and was 20 mm in diameter. This earthworm was found on the road between Alice and King William’s town. While the average length of this earthworm is approximately six feet, this one at 21 feet was one-of-its-kind. These earthworms are usually transparent and all their food and organs can be seen from their skin.
1. Giant Gippsland Earthworm
Size: 9 feet Location: Victoria, Australia
The biggest worm in the world is the Giant Gippsland earthworm, which can stretch up to a length of nine meters. These earthworms are found in the clay soils of Victoria and Australia and can live for about 10 years. These earthworms love to live in streams and it is very rare to find them on the earth’s surface.
However, for research to be conducted on them, scientists often trace them from their peculiar gurgling sound. They make their appearances on earth only when they have to defecate. They are currently classified as a protected species as their numbers are fast declining due to the introduction of agriculture in Australia.
These earthworms depend a lot on heavy rainfall as it helps clean the waste from their burrows.
Trisha Katyayan is an experienced journalist who has print-media background and loves to research, organize and curate factual information in a presentable way.
