Australian Earthworms Can Grow as Long as a Car

Buried beneath the clay soils of southern Australia lives a creature so enormous it sounds like a myth: an earthworm that can grow as long as a compact car. The Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis) holds the title as one of the world's largest earthworms, with verified specimens reaching up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length.

If you're imagining a regular garden worm scaled up, think bigger. These purple-headed, blue-grey giants measure about 2 centimeters in diameter and can weigh up to 400 grams. Their segmented bodies contain 300 to 400 rings, creating an almost alien appearance when unearthed.

The Gurgling Underground

Here's where it gets weird: you can hear these worms moving. When Giant Gippsland Earthworms travel through their waterlogged burrows, they produce a distinctive gurgling sound loud enough to detect from above ground. It's been described as similar to water moving through pipes, a bizarre audio clue that something extraordinary lives beneath your feet.

The sound occurs because their burrow walls are exceptionally wet. When the worms move quickly through these sodden tunnels, the displacement of water creates the characteristic gurgle that has startled many hikers in the region.

A Tiny Kingdom

Despite their impressive size, these earthworms exist in an incredibly restricted range. The only place on Earth where Giant Gippsland Earthworms live naturally is approximately 40,000 hectares in South and West Gippsland, Victoria. They're highly selective about their habitat, preferring:

• Blue, grey, or red clay soils
• Stream banks and south- or west-facing hills
• Moist subsoil environments with specific temperature ranges

This extreme habitat specificity makes them vulnerable. They can't simply migrate to new areas if conditions change.

Fragile Giants

Size doesn't equal resilience. Giant Gippsland Earthworms are surprisingly delicate creatures, classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List. They're a protected species in Victoria, and for good reason—these worms are so fragile that simply digging them up or handling them incorrectly can be fatal.

They spend their entire lives underground, emerging only when their burrows flood. Their slow reproductive rate (they can live 10-20 years but reproduce infrequently) means population recovery from disturbances takes decades. Agriculture, development, and climate change all threaten their limited habitat.

Scientists who have studied these worms for over 30 years note that while the average adult measures about 1 meter and weighs 200 grams, the true giants—those approaching 2-3 meters—are increasingly rare. Each one represents a remarkable survivor in an ecosystem under pressure.

The Giant Gippsland Earthworm reminds us that Australia's reputation for unusual wildlife extends even to the humble earthworm. In a continent known for deadly spiders and venomous snakes, perhaps the strangest creature of all is the one making gurgling sounds beneath your feet.