In a province Binchaun County in southwest China was found a snake-like earthworm measuring over 19 inches (a half-meter) long in a house gutter. Li Zhiwei, a Forestry Bureau worker, made the discovery and eventually decided to keep the worm.
“It looked like a snake, I looked carefully and found it was actually a huge earthworm,” said Li. Li’s neighbors who came to see his unusual find said they had never seen an earthworm that long in their area before.
Biologists said they plan to study the giant earthworm found in Li’s backyard to find out why it was able to grow to such an enormous length. An adult earthworm’s measurements vary by species and can range anywhere from 10mm long and 1mm wide, to 3-meters long and over 25mm wide. Environmental factors also influence an earthworm’s body size, and they tend to grow longer and larger during humid seasons if they take in sufficient nutrition and have no natural enemies. Biologists plan to study the earthworm found by Li to classify it and identify the reason it was able to grow to its current length.
The discovery is especially cool for Li. He said he plans to keep the giant earthworm in his backyard and raise it as a pet.