Giant earthworm
The giant earthworm, Megalopolises Australia, is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species. It is also commonly known as karma, taken from the Bungler language. Giant earthworms average 1 metre long and 2 centimetres. They weigh on average 300 grams
They live in the blue, grey or red clay soils along stream banks and some south- or west-facing hills of their remaining habitat which is in Victoria, Australia. These worms live in deep burrow systems and require water in their environment to respire.
Unlike most earthworms which deposit castings on the surface, they spend almost all their time in burrows about 52 centimetres (20 in) in depth and deposit their castings there and can generally only be flushed out by heavy rain. They are usually very sluggish, but when they move rapidly through their underground burrows, it can cause an audible gurgling or sucking sound which allows them to be detected.
Giant earthworm colonies are small and isolated and the species' low reproductive rates and slow maturation make those small populations vulnerable. Their natural habitats are grasslands, and while they can survive beneath pastures, cultivation, heavy cattle grazing and effluent run-off are adversarial to the species. The Giant earthworm requires moist loamy soil to thrive; dense tree planting negatively affects soil humidity, which in turn negatively affects the species' habitat. No successful breeding has yet been achieved in captivity.
