Giant earthworm!
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jodi Johnson-Maynard, a team at the University of Idaho is searching for the giant Palouse earthworm or giant Washington earthworm which has taken a mythic qualities in the vast agricultural region that stretches from eastern Washington into the Idaho panhandle. Giant Palouse Earthworm (Drilolerius americanus) is a rare, large as much as 3 feet long pinkish-white earthworm which has been seen only 4 times in the past 110 years. In the late 1800's, they were abundant around the Palouse, a region of the north-eastern United States which is a major wheat-producing agricultural area. Locally also known as GPE, these earthworms live in burrows as much as 15 feet deep and secretes lily-like smell when handled. The GPE has already been declared as an endangered species in the United States.
Earthworms are said to be the natural plough. They are tireless tillers of our soils and their castings are the richest and best of all fertilizers. It is hoped that Dr. Johnson-Maynard's team will be successful in finding and preserving the giant earthworms.
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