That’s a lot of free enriched soil. There are several species of Giant Earthworm that span the world over, which makes this post even more spine-tingling. Some species of giant earthworms in South Africa, have been recorded at an astonishing 22ft, 7+ meters. This article surveys all of the individuals and people groups described a… Today I found out South African earthworms can grow as large as 22 feet long, with the average length being about 6 feet long. Posted by. The worms process this quickly, leaving the forest floor bare. In 1967, a South African worm was found by the side of a road in William’s Town that measured an incredible 6.7 meters (22 feet) long. However, there are times when the heavy storms bring these mild creatures to the surface. They are a staple for many types of birds, snakes, moles, hedgehogs, beetles, snails, slugs and also are eaten by a variety of mammals such as foxes, bears, etc. This specimen remains the longest earthworm ever confirmed. Other varieties of large earthworms include the Giant Gippsland earthworm of Australia, which grows about 3 feet long, but can stretch up to 12 feet and weigh as much as 1.5 pounds. A good variety of earthworm to use for processing your daily garbage is the “Red Wiggler”. Startled South African motorists sometimes spot giant earthworms crossing A giant worm measuring nearly seven metres (22 feet) was found. It has not been spotted since around 1980. Sending mutated cubs to the Giving Tree wipes their mutation. The largest one ever found so far, being 22 feet long, was found on a road side in Other varieties of large earthworms include the Giant Gippsland earthworm of Australia, which grows about 3 feet long, but can stretch up to 12 feet and weigh as much as 1. They grow up to 3 feet long. my child had science at school the other day and discovered the largest was 23 feet long and 2 inches in width, Your email address will not be published. Some earthworms can grow up to 14 inches while giant earthworms can grow up to 22 feet. Answer: 6.7 meters (22 feet). These earthly creatures are quite rare to the sight since they live between 3 and 5 feet underground in the dark soil. If a worm was any thicker than this, it would find it increasingly more difficult and less energy efficient to burrow … Your bonus fact on the ice age makes it sound as if there are no native earthworms in North America, which is not true. They're everywhere in film nowadays. While earthworms do a bang up job at taking care of soil, they actually do too good of a job in forests. A giant worm measuring nearly seven metres (22 feet) was found beside a road near King William’s Town back in 1967. -The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail. They also force air through the underground tunnels they create, thereby aerating the soil as they work. By Nicholas K. Geranios The Associated Press SPOKANE – It's 3 feet long, pinkish in color, smells like a lily and must be saved from extinction, conservationists said in asking the federal government to protect the Giant Palouse Earthworm under the Endangered Species Act. They range in size from a single cell to giant kelp over 150 feet long. Even in the case of the longest known specimen of earthworm ever recorded, the 22 foot long South African worm mentioned earlier, the diameter was still only around 2 cm when fully extended. The last Ice Age, where glaciers traveled across North America about 10,000 years ago, also had the negative effect of scraping off most of the top layer of soil. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of worms to continually cultivate the planet and provide the bases of an awful lot of food chains. Most varieties of earthworms cannot handle direct sunlight for long. : WTF. 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