Lineus longissimus or bootlace worm, up to 55 metres long.
Many very different and unrelated types of animals that are generally long and soft are called worms. Of these, three common types of worms are: the flatworm, the roundworm, and the segmented worm.
The Giant Gippsland Earthworm Megascolides australis is only found in small areas of South and West Gippsland, Victoria. It is one of the largest earthworms in the world, often exceeding one metre in length.
Besides the well-known 'Gippsland Giant', Megascolides australis, cited in the Guinness Book of Records at 3 metres, others also grow large. A species of Digaster found near Kyogle in north-eastern New South Wales, often grows to a length of more than 150 cm and is as thick as a garden hose.
But the title of the world's largest earthworm species goes to Australia's Giant Gippsland earthworm (Megascolides australis), which is about six feet long.
Predatory sand striker worms can grow up to 10 feet in length. This one was photographed in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. Hidden beneath the seafloor around coral reefs, giant worms wait until an unlucky fish swims close enough for them to nab with their jagged, agile jaws and pull back into their sandy burrows.
Earthworms are eaten in some areas of the world, including China and the Philippines (IFIS, 2009). Based on their nutrient content, earthworms Eisenia foetida are an excellent source of readily available protein and minerals in human diet and are included in the Dictionary of Food Science and Technology (IFIS, 2009).
Found only in a critically endangered ecosystem known as the Palouse prairie, a storied giant was long thought to be extinct. Only a handful of sightings have been reported since the 1970s. Today, there are only 10 of these animals in captivity in the world.
Dioctophyme (=Dioctophyma) renale, the giant kidney worm, is the largest known parasitic nematode infecting humans — adult females can reach over one meter in length. The genus has been spelled as both “Dioctophyma” and “Dioctophyme”. Human infections are very rare.
There are over 1000 species of native worms in Australia and approximately 80 introduced species that are beneficial as well. They are not all small and brown – some Australian native worms are enormous. The 'Gippsland Giant' holds a Guinness World Record for growing up to 3 metres long.
Worms may also be called helminths—particularly in medical terminology—when referring to parasitic worms, especially the Nematoda (roundworms) and Cestoda (tapeworms) which reside in the intestines of their host.
The Oregon giant earthworm is one of North America's largest earthworm species, reaching up to 1.32 m (4.3 ft.) in length.
Roundworms (phylum Nematoda) have a slightly more complex body plan. Segmented worms (phylum Annelida) are the most complex animals with worm-like body plans. A study of worms can illuminate a possible history of how some organ systems and body features evolved.
Pinworms are also called “threadworms.” They're the most common type of intestinal worm infection in the U.S., and one of the most common in the world. They're thin and white, and about one-quarter to one-half inch long -- about as long as a staple. Tapeworms are flatworms that look a bit like ribbons.
Although Australia has over 1000 species of native earthworms, Gippsland is home to possibly the largest and undoubtedly the most famous of all earthworms - the Giant Gippsland Earthworm.
Giant earthworms are found in several states of Australia and from many countries around the world, including China, Vietnam, South and North America, India and South Africa. Just as fisherman like to exaggerate the size of the fish they catch, there are many exaggerated claims about the size of worms.
In the depths of the ocean, life can extend far beyond its usual limits. Take the tube worm Escarpia laminata: living in an environment with a year-round abundance of food and no predators, individuals seem to live for over 300 years.
Worms don't bite. They also don't sting. 3. They are cold-blooded animals, which means they don't maintain their own body heat but instead assume the temperature of their surroundings.
Some species can release a stinging substance. Earthworms and red wriggler worms are perfectly safe to hold bare-handed, though it's probably prudent to wash your hands before eating your next meal.
Many times people get worms by accidentally swallowing them or their eggs. Some worms can go through your skin when they are young and small. Sometimes you get worms when an infected insect bites you or when you eat meat from an infected animal.
Doctors are telling of a remarkable medical case in which they had to a remove a 6-foot-long tapeworm from a man's gut by pulling it through his mouth. Live Science explains that the 48-year-old patient from India had been having stomach pains for two months before he decided to visit PVS Memorial Hospital in Kerala.
The tapeworm can be almost 40 m (130 ft) in length with as many as 45,000 proglottids (segments). The scolex (head) of the tapeworm is attached to the lining of the gut and the proglottids continuously develop from behind the scolex. As more segments are produced, the older ones become larger and more mature.
The consensus among researchers such as Shuker and author Richard Freeman is that the Mongolian Death Worm likely does not exist, and the belief is instead based upon sightings of either a type of limbless reptile known as worm lizard (which resembles a large worm, burrows underground and can reach several feet in ...