You’ve probably seen earthworms slithering around on the ground after a rainstorm... but probably not one this big. A photographer snapped this photo of a species of giant worm belonging to the genus Martiodrilus in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador in South America. These worms are believed to grow to be as long as 1 meter (3.3 feet).
About 5,000 different species of earthworms exist in the world. They range in length from 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) to 2.5 m (8.2 ft), says Samuel James, a zoologist at the University of Iowa. Big worms can survive for quite a long time. Some species of giant earthworms can live 20 years, while smaller types of worms tend to live only six months.
Like their smaller relatives, giant earthworms live underground. They eat soil and get the nutrients they need from the organic matter it contains, like rotting leaves and animal droppings. The worms manage to grow to their full adult size because they stay hidden from predators. “As long as they’re in the soil, they’re pretty safe,” says James.
This isn’t the only shockingly large species of worm found in the Amazon rainforest. “There are lots of really big worms in Ecuador,” says James. In fact, he’s studying a newly discovered species of giant earthworm found there. James plans to examine its DNA—the molecule that carries hereditary information—and compare it with that of smaller earthworms. He hopes to learn what genetic differences are responsible for making some worms supersized.