10-foot long earthworms living right under our feet and you never knew!
It’s understandable why snakes evoke such fear in people – their scales, unusual movement, and potential venomous nature all contribute to this. So, it’s not surprising that encountering an incredibly large snake would be terrifying. After all, the bigger they are, the more daunting the encounter becomes.
This was the case for a group of 19th century rail workers who encountered an enormous snake deep in the Australian jungle. They had never seen anything like it before, and were understandably frightened. But as they took a closer look, they began to notice something peculiar about this giant creature.
It was a typical day for the group of rail workers as they toiled away on their railway project in a remote area of Victoria, Australia. The sun was beating down on them, and the only sounds were the clanking of their tools and the distant chirping of birds. But all of that changed when they discovered something that they had never seen before.
As they worked on a railway in the secluded area, they stumbled upon something peculiar and massive. At first glance, they believed they had come across an unknown species of snake, as it was gigantic. The workers were horrified, but also couldn’t help but feel a sense of fascination with this giant creature. They quickly realized that this was no ordinary snake, and they knew they had to investigate further.
In hopes of identifying it, they brought the creature to the University of Melbourne. What was this strange and massive creature that they had stumbled upon? They had never seen anything like it before and it was clear that this was not your typical snake.
Once they arrived at the university, they were greeted by a team of scientists and researchers who were eager to study this mysterious creature. As they carefully examined it, they soon realized that this was not a snake at all. The discovery was not only shocking, but it also raised many questions. How could such a creature have gone unnoticed for so long? How did it survive and thrive in such a harsh environment? The workers were in disbelief as they learned that this creature had been living right beneath their feet all along, hidden deep beneath the earth’s surface.
What they discovered was something that left them in complete shock. Because deep beneath the earth’s surface, a creature lies hidden from the eyes of humanity. This is no ordinary creature, mind you, but a giant earthworm that could be living right beneath your feet without you ever knowing. These Gippsland earthworms, named after the region of southern Australia they call home, can grow up to an astonishing 10 feet in length – that’s longer than an adult human!
These giant earthworms are incredibly elusive, thanks to the fact that they burrow as much as five feet underground. They only come to the surface during heavy rains that flood their tunnels. Even if you live in Gippsland, the chances of actually stumbling upon one of these earthworms is slim. But if you do, don’t be afraid – they’re completely harmless.
Gippsland earthworms, like most earthworms, possess both male and female reproductive organs, making them hermaphrodites. Mating is a unique challenge for these giant earthworms, as their underground tunnels are quite narrow and cramped. Scientists have observed that these creatures have the ability to stretch and thin themselves out, allowing two worms to fit inside the same tunnel for reproduction.
After mating, it takes up to a year for baby Gippsland earthworms to emerge from their eggs, and they are already quite large when they do, measuring several inches in length. This is in contrast to most other earthworm species, which are born much smaller and take longer to reach maturity. The size and strength of these baby earthworms also indicates that they are well-equipped to survive in the wild from the moment they are born.
