Apologies for the title but I have been called worse!
I found this Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis) flooded out of its burrow while doing survey work for the species around a Reservoir. It is the first time I have seen this happen. The worms live in permanent underground burrows in clay soils and do not come to the surface as they are very vulnerable when above ground. I took this opportunity to take a few quick photos before digging a trench close by above the waterlogged soil to release the worm into.
These worms are Threatened and listed under both Federal and State Legislation. The only place in the world they are found is a very small area of South Gippsland, Victoria. Suitable habitat within their range is very patchy. While there are still many unknowns about this species, one thing I do know is that soil moisture is critical for its survival. They are abit like Goldilocks-the soil can’t be too wet or too dry- they must be just right for them to survive. I have found colonies surviving in areas as small as a couple of square metres. Worms cannot disperse between areas of suitable habitat unless the habitat is contiguous so they are extremely vulnerable to threatening processes in particular changes to hydrology.
Tomorrow I will join the march for the Global Climate Strike. The Giant Gippsland Earthworm- a gentle giant, quietly cultivating the soils below, rarely seen but sometimes heard- is just one of many species that are likely to become extinct with the impact of climate change.
This image is Copyright INVERT-ECO. Please do not download it without written permission.
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