What? You thought we were making stuff up? That really is a giant blue earthworm, and it really does release glow-in-the-dark mucus. Its more official name is not "tentacle rape in Australia," but the more worksafe "Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis)." It is one of the few things in Australia that does not want to suck your intestines out...as far as we know. It's big enough to possibly do that.
How giant is giant? Nobody is really sure, but reports range from 2-3 meters in length for adult specimens. The largest ever was supposedly 4 meters (around 13 feet). They can be found in the colorful clay soils of Gippsland, Australia. That land is protected to keep these rare worms alive; as of right now, they are the only Australian worm classified as "vulnerable."
You thought the deepsea was unknown? We don't even know how these strange worms reproduce. Like David Attenborough up there said, we have their egg cocoons and can hear them squishing underground, but know very little about them otherwise.
In retrospect, that might be a good thing. I don't want to know why this scientist named hers 'Bitey.'
Tomorrow: After this and the yeti crab, you deserve a cute. A cute that can smash your face with its butt!
Raising awareness about Giant Gippsland Earthworms
ReplyDeleteHello, I am an online writer who is interested in raising awareness among the general public about this endangered species Megascolides australis or the Giant Gippsland Earthworms.
I believe rather than informing everyone only about the facts, a creatively made short story would prove out to be a more effective communicative method to convey the seriousness of the situation these helpless annelids are in.
The following link would take you to one of my short stories which focuses on the subject.
http://needleinthehay.net/short-story-flash-fiction-two-yards-below-part-2/