OK this isn't a bug or even an arthropod for that matter, and I'm sure it's been brought up in the biology circles of Tumblr before BUT I wanna take a second to talk about the Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis)...
So, I'm sure all of y'all know the typical earthworm, just a few inches long, the type of little guy you find under a rock or in the dirt after a rainstorm, right?
Well, then you have these guys:
[Image ID: Invertebrate ecologist Beverley Van Praagh holding a Giant Gippsland Earthworm with arms outstretched to show its length / Credit and Source: Rodney Start and Museums Victoria]
These gigantic worms are about 1 metre (3 feet, 3 inches) long, are 2 centimeters (0.79 inches) in diameter on average, and can get up to 3 metres (9 feet, 10 inches) long, yet are still only 200 grams (0.44 pounds) on average! Even their babies are 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long when they hatch!!
Speaking of the babies, they take a shockingly long time (for an earthworm) to mature! They can reportedly take up to 5 years to reach maturity.
These guys, are, perhaps unsurprisingly, native to Australia (in a relatively small section of Gippsland in Victoria), and only live underground, about 52 centimeters (20 inches) down, in moist clay, near water, and arent really spotted often because of this- However despite the fact they're typically very slow, if they move fast enough in their burrows they can be detected. Why, you may ask? Because it makes a sound, one that sounds like gurgling or sucking apparently.
This species of worm is really fascinating (as are earthworms in general)! and I also feel it's necessary to bring up the fact it's also considered to be endangered
Here's some more reading on this species for those who are interested:
Beverley Van Praagh has been studying the giant Gippsland earthworm for more than 25 years, working closely with farmers and community membe
