Lumbricus badensis

Baden giant earthworm ( Lumbricus badensis )

The Badische giant earthworm ( Lumbricus badensis ) is an annelid of the family of earthworms. The species is endemic to the pine forests of the Feldberg area and the largest Lumbricus kind in Europe.

Features

The Badische giant earthworm has a resting length 30-34 cm stretched, up to 60 cm. The animals have a diameter of 12 to 16 mm and can weigh from 24 to 32 g, occasionally to 40 g is the number of body segments 190 to 210 The head shape is tanylob. The clitellum is saddle-shaped and comprises the segments 31 to 38 or 32 to 38; an extension to segment 40 occurs occasionally. The front third of the body is dark purple to dark brown, the posterior two -thirds are lead- gray to light gray.

Dissemination

The species was first described scientifically in 1906 and lives in a small area in the southern Black Forest, at altitudes 300-1400 m above sea level. In the relatively acidic soils on bedrock of spruce forests lack the Common Earthworm ( Lumbricus terrestris) and related species, so that there the species L. badensis could spread.

Evolutionary emergence of

Biogeographic studies have shown that the last common ancestor of the Baden giant earthworm and its smaller sister species Lumbricus friendi less than 10,000 years has lived at the end of the last ice age. Due to geographical isolation over the Rhine, probably about the drifting of large earth- root bales originated Lumbricus - founder populations, which could then colonize the earthworm -free acidic soils in the Black Forest. In the course of just a few thousand years now geographically and reproductively isolated organic species Lumbricus badensis and Lumbricus friendi from a Vorläuferart ( archaic L. friendi ) have emerged ( allopatric speciation ). The question of how the Badische giant earthworm could evolve such a height in such a short time, is not clarified beyond doubt. Might benefit more individuals of several selection advantages: improved body's fluid accumulation during dry periods, when the above-ground foraging another action radius, and the ability to larger leaves and twigs pieces to obtain, and the ability to create deeper retreat tubes.

Way of life

The Badische giant earthworm is up to 20 years old, his remains up to 2.5 m deep burrow faithful and operates by applying Erdkammern parental care. By applying such a deep tubes, the earthworms can also survive harsh winters without frost death. The burrows are up to 15 mm wide and papered with humus-rich excreta of earthworms. The annelids, composed of micro-organisms decompose the spruce needles. Endemic annelids are therefore for the scattering degradation in the soils of the southern Black Forest of importance.