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Gippsland earthworm colonies are small and isolated, [9] and the species' low reproductive rates and slow maturation make those small populations vulnerable. [9] Their natural habitats are grasslands, and while they can survive beneath pastures, [9] cultivation, heavy cattle grazing and effluent run-off are adversarial to the species. [9]
Lumbricus terrestris is a large, reddish worm species thought to be native to Western Europe, now widely distributed around the world (along with several other lumbricids). In some areas where it is an introduced species , some people consider it to be a significant pest for out-competing native worms.
The Oregon giant earthworm (Driloleirus macelfreshi) is one of the largest earthworms found in North America, growing to more than three feet (0.91 m) in length. First described in 1937, the species is not common. Since its discovery, specimens have been documented in only fifteen locations within Oregon's Willamette Valley.
The giant Palouse earthworm or Washington giant earthworm (Driloleirus americanus, meaning lily-like worm [2]) is a species of earthworm belonging to the genus Driloleirus inhabiting the Palouse region of Eastern Washington and North Idaho, in the United States. The worm was discovered in 1897 by Frank Smith near Pullman, Washington. It can ...
Microchaetus rappi, the African Giant Earthworm, is a large earthworm in the family Microchaetidae, the largest of the segmented worms (commonly called earthworms). It averages about 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) in length, but can reach a length of as much as 6.7 meters (22 feet) and can weigh over 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds).
The first body segment (segment number 1) features both the earthworm's mouth and, overhanging the mouth, a fleshy lobe called the prostomium, which seals the entrance when the worm is at rest, but is also used to feel and chemically sense the worm's surroundings. Some species of earthworm can even use the prehensile prostomium to grab and drag ...
The largest of the segmented worms (including earthworms, leeches, and polychaetes) is the African giant earthworm (Microchaetus rappi). Although it averages about 1.36 m (4.5 ft) in length, this huge worm can reach a length of as much as 6.7 m (22 ft) and can weigh over 1.5 kg (3.3 lb). [ 239 ]
Earthworms are shifting their ranges northwards into forests between 45° and 69° latitude in North America that have lacked native earthworms since the last ice age. [3] Of the 182 taxa of earthworms found in the United States and Canada, 60 (33%) are introduced species, these earthworm species are primarily from Europe and Asia.