2 Finds Add To Giant Earthworm Science In Northwest

According to an article at Science Daily, "Native, possibly giant, earthworm science in the Pacific Northwest is advancing with the discovery of two new specimens from opposite sides of the interior Columbia River basin. University of Idaho soil scientist Jodi Johnson-Maynard, an associate professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, said an earthworm that was most likely a giant Palouse earthworm was found in early March near Moscow [Idaho]." I have trouble with the idea that worms of merely a foot long have trouble meeting the designation "giant" outside of Tremors or Arrakis. Update: 05/06 17:44 GMT by T : Correction: That's Moscow, Idaho, rather than Washington. Thanks to the alert reader who spotted this.

Comments

"Do we have wormsign?"

[leftie]

"We have wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen."

Re:"Do we have wormsign?"

[grayshirtninja]

If they're not big enough to ride, then they're not giant worms.

Global worming!

[EmbeddedJanitor]

That's causing it!

Re:Global worming!

[Duradin]

Global worming wouldn't be a bad thing.

Vermiculture has a lot of potential. And not just in the current global-warming-will-kill-us-all-we-must-think-of-the-children way you might be thinking.

Of course inexpensive, self replicating solutions don't have a big enough profit margin and as far as I know there's no big vermi-lobby group out there (though a lot of lobbyists are pretty close to worms) nor any big subsidies.

Bait

[Sooner Boomer]

Maybe we can use one of these on a treble hook to catch giant squid.

moscow, id not wa

[adpowers]

a giant Palouse earthworm was found in early March near Moscow [Washington]." That is Moscow, Idaho, not Washington.

That's not a worm...

[BoogieChile]

- I have trouble with the idea that worms of merely a foot long have trouble meeting the designation "giant" outside of Tremors or Arrakis.

Try this one on for size...

http://museumvictoria.com.au/DiscoveryCentre/Infosheets/Giant-Gippsland-Earthworm

Re:How much of the worm do you need?

[vajaradakini]

Usually you just need the head end and the worm will regrow (but I think this depends on the specific worm). If the 50% is the tail end then it doesn't regrow and if it's just random part in the middle (i.e. if they're taking a core sample and get a 3 inch section from the middle of a 1m long worm) then you're not really going to have much at all to go on.

I don't know if you've ever dissected a worm in high school biology class, but they've pretty much got organs in the front and intestines and nerves through the rest and then a place to poop at the end and that's about it (simplifying).

But yeah... worms = uber creepy.

Sandtrout

[MadUndergrad]

So when are they going to find sandtrout? You need those before the truly large worms make their appearance.

Re:Sandtrout

[Bender0x7D1]

The sandtrout come from the worms themselves. They are the next stage in the life cycle. The real question is how did we get the giant worms without the sandtrout and without a large amount of spice as a catalyst.

Re:Giant?

[pla]

Looks about the same size of worms we have here in Ontario.

No kidding... I suspect these things just hide fairly well.

In Northern New England, I've personally seen worms stretching all the way across my front walkway (over two feet) during light evening rain - And judging by the speed with which it snapped back into its hole when I poked at it, I'd say it had more than half its body still underground at the time.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy". Just because we haven't caught and dissected one yet, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Gaaaaah-Rooooooovy!!

[Hellpop]

Sorry, couldn't resist!
Let's just hope one of them finds that super-suit.