In 2012, two specimens were found near Paradise Ridge, south of Moscow, Idaho, one by Cass Davis (on April 13) and one by Joseph Szasz (on June 5). Funding was provided through various contracts with the Idaho Conservation Data Center in the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Only four sightings had been confirmed (prior to the 2010 discovery) in the past 30 years, the previous most recent sighting was in 2005 by one of Johnson-Maynard's students, Yaniria Sánchez de León. There was no scientific survey conducted in the late 19th century to determine the spatial extent and abundance of the earthworm.Ī Summer 2009 project was launched by Jodi Johnson-Maynard, a University of Idaho associate professor and a soil ecologist specializing in macroinvertebrates, to find specimens. A scanned image of the letter accompanying the original specimens is found Letter to Frank Smith from R.W. Smith's work was based on four specimens sent to him by R. It had been described as "very common" in the Palouse region in the 1890s, according to an 1897 article in The American Naturalist by Frank Smith. The earthworm burrows deep during summer droughts and enters a state of aestivation. It is thought to sustain the earthworm during dry seasons. The fertile soil consists of deep loess hills enriched with volcanic ash and rich layers of organic matter. This species' native habitat consists of the bunch grass prairies of the Palouse region. Prior to its rediscovery in 2010, the worm was believed to give off a scent similar to that of the lily flower when handled and that it was able to spit in self-defense however, the specimens captured did not exhibit these capabilities. They are related to a species in Australia that is a true giant at 3.3 ft (1.0 m), the giant Gippsland earthworm. Typical adult specimens are about 8 in (20 cm) in length. Little is known about the giant Palouse earthworm.
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