Metazoa info

[Duke Guilmon]

Giant Gippsland Earthworm



Size: 1m in diameter, 3 meters in length

Weight: 200 grams

Life expectancy: 10 years

Location: This giant animal lives in Victoria, Australia. They live in red, grey, and blue clay soils along streams and hills



Taxonomy:
Class: Oligochaeta
Order: Haplotaxida
Suborder: Lumbricina
Family: Megascolecidae
Genus: Megascolides
Species: Megascolides australis

Diet: Like all worms, it is a decomposer, meaning all dead organism are on the menu

Anatomy: These animals are known for the sucking noise made while digging. DUe to the large size and rapid movements underground, moving through large amounts of soil will cause this sound.

Behavior: Gippsland earth spends most of its time digging tunnels, some that reach 52 meters in depth

Reproduction: These animals are hermaphrodites. They breed during warmer months. They will lay egg capsules reaching 4-7 centimeters in length. The eggs take 12 months to hatch. They young worms reach sexual maturity at 5 years. 

Relationship with other animals: Humans have a major part in this worms population, as when Europeans arrived the numbers begin to drop. They are now protected.



You can choke someone with this thing

Other sources:

http://twentytwowords.com/massive-austra...-pictures/

http://www.wired.com/2014/03/absurd-crea...rm-backup/

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13008/0