Via a circuitous route, prompted by a friend of Zooillogix, Tweet Gainsborough-waring, I found myself looking at the picture below.
This otherworldly Australian earthworm, Terriswalkeris terraereginae, not only looks likes delicious candy, but the mucin it releases is luminescent, and it grows up to 2 meters long. I knew Zooillogix readers would want to know more about this fascinating critter but could find almost no information online. Luckily, Dr. Geoff Dyne, Assistant Director, Queensland Section, Australian Government Natural Research Management Team (and more importantly, earthwormologist), generously provided me with the following information about Australia's formidable Oligochaetes.
Courtesy of Dr. Dyne:
Australia is home to some of the largest earthworms in the world. This little-known zoological morsel is easily overlooked when one considers the more charismatic elements of the fauna that usually rate a mention - such as koalas and kangaroos.
Size is relative, of course; when we think of large earthworms (or terrestrial Oligochaetes), we are perhaps considering species growing in excess of 30cm or one foot or so in length. In Australia, all of these species belong to the Family Megascolecidae.
Some of these earthworms are associated with upland areas of rainforest growing on volcanic soils, such as Terriswalkeris terraereginae, found in the mountains behind Cairns in Far North Queensland. This large species is all the more striking for being a deep Prussian blue. Rarely seen, it (together with a number of the other deep-burrowing species) is occasionally exposed by road-building machinery or when heavy rain saturates the soil and forces individuals out of their burrows.
Another unusual large earthworm is Digaster keasti, known from the great sandy region in southeast Queensland, which includes Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. It has become adapted to what would usually be regarded as a somewhat precarious, if not impossible, habitat for an earthworm - podsolised sand. These extensive sand soils are subject to desiccation in their upper layers but contain just enough humic material and deep moisture to support the existence of these remarkable animals. Digaster keasti is also bioluminescent - an interesting phenomenon exhibited by other earthworms species and which is worthy of a separate article.
The Grand-daddy of these overachieving oligochaetes is the Giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolides australis, found in clayey soils under the banks of streams and in south or west facing hills in the Gippsland region of eastern Victoria (south-eastern Australia).
She named this big one "Bitey"
It commonly reaches a length of about 2 to 3 metres (6.5 to 10 feet), and is about 2cm (0.8 inches) in diameter when extended. The biggest specimen recorded by the National Museum of Victoria is...
(more below the fold)
...nearly 4 metres (13 feet) long. The small town of Korumburra, which is near the epicentre of the occurrence of M. australis, celebrates its unique faunal asset with an annual worm festival called Karmai (the local Aboriginal name for the species). It is reputed that when in close proximity to these animals, one can detect faint gurgling noises as they move through their burrows.
Megascolides australis also has the dubious honour of being the only earthworm to be listed under Australian national threatened species legislation, largely because of its very restricted distribution.
A few final thoughts and questions from Zooillogix:
Does anyone know if the luminescence is chemical or bacterial? (note - this was Kevin Z's first question after he got done crying over my breaking the story on this badboy).
Does anyone have a picture of Digaster keasti?
Is nuking Australia from orbit the only way to be sure?
Would love to have other earthwormologists weigh-in on these new media darlings.
Special thanks to Dr. Geoff Dyne for providing us with this fascinating information.
Comments
Bitey?
It bites?
Posted by: Sigmund | May 22, 2008 12:17 PM
Tremors is for reals!
Posted by: Evan | May 22, 2008 12:23 PM
Home worm-composting would surely be so much more popular with a pair of cute luminescent blue monster worms rather than loads of little ones. These things could save the earth!
Posted by: tai haku | May 22, 2008 1:35 PM
...Ew.
Posted by: Emily O. | May 22, 2008 8:36 PM
Sigmund: It's from the Simpsons where Homer ends up driving the monorail and finds possums in the fair extinguisher cabinet...
Posted by: Dave Hone | May 22, 2008 8:56 PM
I visited Fraser Island a few years ago.....didn't see any giant earthworms though, (un?)fortunately.
Posted by: Zelly | May 24, 2008 3:59 AM
So when do we get the (briefly alluded to) follow up post from the most excellent Dr. Geoff Dyne? Looks like Kevins question would have it's answer there and so many other questions...yes?
Posted by: Eric | May 24, 2008 9:04 AM
Very cool!
Posted by: bug_girl | May 24, 2008 9:21 AM
My 9 year old has always been afraid of worms (we're not even allowed to say the word; we're supposed to refer to them as "w"s), and no one in the family ever understood why. I'll have to make sure his sibs see this. Too cool...and yet gross at the same time. Imagine glow-in-the-dark compost.
Posted by: Liesele | May 27, 2008 9:28 AM
You do know you can use italics, right?
HTML code: <i>text</igt;
Result: text
Posted by: David Marjanović | May 27, 2008 11:04 AM
These are some SERIOUS earthworms. That blue color is amazing.
Posted by: Wendy Geise | June 3, 2008 11:00 PM
Imagine the size of the wormery for the big worm or the blue worm, saying that think how much compost you would get and how much waste you would need to a few happy.
Posted by: kevin towler | July 17, 2008 4:51 AM
Dude that blue worm does look like a gummy worm but i wuldn't eat it. just thinkin bout it makes me wanna barf. I will never look @ blue gummy worms the same again lolz
Posted by: shaun B | January 26, 2009 11:10 PM
Does anyone have the contact details for Dr. Dyne. I can't find anything on him. My field staff dug up a giant earth worm in a lowland forest area in Borneo and I would like to know what it is.
Posted by: Erik Meijaard | February 25, 2009 7:50 PM
EWWWWWWW
Posted by: Molly H. | March 12, 2009 9:28 AM
I lived inland from Sarina, Queensland for some years and came across giant earthworms on my plot of land, they were a grey/fawn colour and when dug up they did,nt appear to have much life in them, and were quite limp. Does anyone know what type these are?
Posted by: Terry Bareham | March 23, 2009 3:45 PM
I wonder if their castings are blue to...
Posted by: Hannah Houston | March 25, 2009 6:18 PM
the ımagine size of the wormery for the big worm or the blue worm, saying that think how much compost you would get and how much waste you would need to a few happy.weee...
Posted by: neon | April 2, 2009 10:37 PM
ııIIııı.. İrenc... OMG :|
Posted by: poozitif | April 29, 2009 5:03 PM
I am an architect based in south america i am currently composing a book based on insects. It'a a conceptual book based on multiple insects that we leave with and co-exist and they some how leave of us as parasites, the first example is the flea house. I will be posting this on my website soon I am almost done with it. I once encounter a doctor that told me that we have warms that reside in our intestens can anyone help me with samples and pictures or references that i can look into.
thanks
Posted by: alexander mayorga | June 2, 2009 12:31 AM
I'm an Australian girl, and I ain't never seen a big-ass earthworm like that! Very cool, I read something about them in New Scientist just the other day and might do a blog post about them myself. :)
Posted by: Captain Skellett | July 27, 2009 12:10 AM
When I was a small kid in the late '60s, there were very long, pale (white?), earthworms in the soggy ground near my cousin's place at Shorncliffe Brisbane, maybe 2 feet long, and as thick as your finger. like the one above. I have never seen them since, but they were not your common garden variety. They looked like the Gippsland worm Megascolides. Did I dream it?
Posted by: michael bouwman | September 14, 2009 11:06 PM
jfbdhyilcfsdjasgfysdhfgsdhfbgvhjGFsdyafgturyuarqw7e243qwgczhsfg38275tghfsditr7834578234qoreiow;hCZXjkg*so
Posted by: JARED MORLEY | October 20, 2009 1:14 PM
i am hery much surprised to see such a big earthworm existing on the earth.
it is interesting to know about the food what they eat,and there are may be the existance of predators of this worms,
Posted by: shankerappa s hatti | November 18, 2009 1:31 AM
Hi I found what I think is a giant blue earthworm in the hills behind Byron Bay, is that somewhere it should be?
Posted by: narelle parker | January 18, 2010 1:05 AM
Mmmmmmmmm ... SHAI HULUD!
Posted by: Napalmnacey | January 23, 2010 5:25 AM
it is interesting to know about the food what they eat,and there are may be the existance of predators of this worms,
Posted by: sikiş | January 23, 2010 11:13 AM
uuugh that is fucin grossed out and the lady is nutts
lolss
Posted by: mzthang | March 8, 2010 4:28 PM
Hi there,
Thanks for the info, though the genus for the giant blue worm is actually spelled "Terriswalkerius" (Jamieson, 1994, memoirs of the queensland museum). A small difference, but it may help others who search for further info.
Cheers
Posted by: Alex Anderson | March 30, 2010 2:05 AM
Hi Michael Bouwman - I remember seeing some of these fellas down near the Kangaroo Point ferry in Brisbane. It was late 50's following some torrential rain. Very impressive.
Posted by: Tony Harper | April 28, 2010 6:57 AM
Terriswalkeris terraereginae is a very interesting creature. Before European settlers arrived, my ancestors used catch Terriswalkeris terraereginae in order to make blue dye for trading with the Maori people of New Zealand (who used it to colour their faces blue).
As well, Terriswalkeris terraereginae is very tasty, but it must be carefully cooked because the head of the creature is very poisonous. You must remove the head before cooking. Only a couple of minutes is needed.
Posted by: Ngawarra | May 1, 2010 6:54 AM
does anyone know if this is for real? why are there no sources cited if so?
Posted by: anon | May 19, 2010 12:52 AM
When I was a small kid in the late '60s, there were very long, pale (white?), earthworms in the soggy ground near my cousin's place at Shorncliffe Brisbane, maybe 2 feet long, and as thick as your finger. like the one above. I have never seen them since, but they were not your common garden variety. They looked like the Gippsland worm Megascolides. Did I dream it?
Posted by: seks izle | June 30, 2010 6:19 AM
The only animal in the world is not like a snake away from me whether they
Posted by: tuncay | August 3, 2010 9:45 AM
real photo :S :S
Posted by: seksi | September 13, 2010 12:58 PM
I hope it is enough to satisfy the people who read this description. I think everyone enjoys quite a wide audience adoption. Thank you my friend
Posted by: porno | September 29, 2010 3:08 AM
Hi I found what I think is a giant blue earthworm in the hills behind Byron Bay, is that somewhere it should be?
Posted by: porno izle | October 6, 2010 8:57 PM
it is interesting to know .
I hope it is enough to satisfy the people who read this description.
Posted by: porno | October 26, 2010 6:08 AM
I do not like snakes at all scares me to even see a picture of a very cold animals
Posted by: ISMEK KURSLARI | November 16, 2010 1:33 PM
I am so impress earthworm picture and i am like it earthworm i know that it is a impotant animal of earth
Posted by: lucky | November 27, 2010 11:03 AM
I hope it is enough to satisfy the people who read this description. I think everyone enjoys quite a wide audience adoption. Thank you my friend
Posted by: Langırt | December 24, 2010 9:49 AM
Hey...thank you for this website. I had an environment class and one of my student caught a blue earthworm, so I thought to google it on the spot and found your site. The information was really useful gave my students an insight. Thanks again.
Francis Chen
Posted by: Francis Chen | February 11, 2011 12:44 AM
Uhm Ew.
Posted by: Makaylaa Hubeert | April 20, 2011 3:36 PM
Kayleigh laden is the most gorgeousest person ever on this earth :P Iloveherso much, Matts pretty Damn. Too (:
Posted by: Makaylaa. | April 25, 2011 1:57 PM
kai umh i dont get this jellyfish . ! (:
THIS SIGHT SUCK MY DINKS
Posted by: cAILEY pARSONS | April 25, 2011 2:01 PM
hey is me famo i need to see earthworm and i am doing something with it
Posted by: famo | April 28, 2011 2:36 PM
It look like a huge worm, just thinking bout it makes me wanna barf. I will never look at blue gummy worms the same again... scary
Posted by: יועץ בטיחות | May 6, 2011 12:01 PM
dghdfjhfchedfchgfdcjhqflyuvgcxdnmbcccccccuqiiiiiiiiiiiiddhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhcvjhfasdhhxgj
Posted by: dgfdgfytdy | May 17, 2011 1:33 PM
Speculation is all we have right now, but without question the two main themes of all these sites are excessive linking and paid link selling.
Posted by: av tüfekleri | June 20, 2011 5:34 AM
BTW, all the comments that are not written in English are plain spam, I have read and understood them.
Posted by: epoksi zemin kaplama | June 20, 2011 5:37 AM
The Conway campaign said Paul needs to explain why he joined a secret society in college after the president of Baylor University banned it in 1978, two years before Paul attended the Texas school, because it “made fun of not only the Baptist religion, but Christianity and Christ.”
Posted by: otomatik av tüfekleri | June 20, 2011 5:40 AM