Order Haplotaxida | Subclass Oligochaeta Rank Species | |
Similar Kinabalu giant red leech, Pheretima, Giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolecidae, Giant Palouse earthworm |
The Kinabalu giant earthworm, Pheretima darnleiensis, is a grey-blue coloured peregrine annelid native to Mount Kinabalu, Borneo and surrounding islands as well as New Guinea. On Mount Kinabalu, the animal grows to a length of approximately 70 cm and lives in burrows in the soft and thick soils around Paka Cave shelter, at an altitude of 3,000 m above sea level. The earthworm's segments are encirled by numerous setae and its skin has a greenish iridescent gloss. Amongst the Kinabalu earthworm's natural predators is another large annelid, the Kinabalu giant red leech. Both animals can only be seen during or after a heavy downpouring of rain.
References
Kinabalu giant earthworm Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA