# Apparently these are bad guys



## spaceman spif (Jul 28, 2009)

Spent the last few weeks building a retaining wall behind my Mom's house and planting ivy and hostas to help control the erosion in her back yard. It's a steep forest that has over time gotten closer and closer to her house.

While planting some ivy near the retaining wall I saw a little earthworm and I went to gently scoot him out of the way. But as soon as I touched it, it flopped and twisted and squirmed like crazy. It literally was bouncing off the ground! I had never seen anything like it! So I touched it again, and again it bounced and twisted all over the place. A total spaz! I called for my son to come over and see it, but by the time I went back the worm was gone.

Later that night I did some reading, and apparently that was an Asian Jumping Worm. An invasive species. And not so good for the woods.

https://modernfarmer.com/2019/03/meet-the-asian-jumping-worm-the-farmers-new-threat/


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Hmm. Interesting!

I think we have them in California, too.


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## spaceman spif (Jul 28, 2009)

And in doing my research I also discovered that most of the earthworms in America are not a native species, but were brought over during colonization. I had no idea about that!


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

spaceman spif said:


> And in doing my research I also discovered that most of the earthworms in America are not a native species, but were brought over during colonization. I had no idea about that!


Beat me to it, if you're in the northern U.S., especially. Apparently the glaciers wiped out earthworms in the north (makes sense) so they had to be re-introduced, though that's being re-examined like so much else these days.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

There are arctic "earth" worms called "ice" worms - they're smaller and less damaging to the fauna.


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## cheeno (Aug 31, 2019)

That worm needs to be on the end of a fishing hook.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Those are very reminiscent of the worms on the old star trek series, you saw the Klingon's eating Gok.

It wriggled a lot while they were ingesting them. 

I always wondered where the Props crew got them.

Gross. 


ED


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## bobhammer (Jun 17, 2020)

I have never seen a worm quite like that but I generally don't do a lot of gardening or yard work to see them. I only see worms after a hard downpour really. That worm looks like it would be insanely strong for its size.


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