It’s not often you find an 80 cm long earthworm! Although, you very well might in the Veneto region of Italy, home to two species of earthworms of this extraordinary size: Eophila tellinii and Eophila crodabepis. Characterised by a livery of puce and purple bands, the former is the largest species of earthworm in Italy. It was discovered and described in the late 19th century, and can be found on the slopes at the foot of the Venetian Prealps, in sometimes stony, grey limestone soils covered by broadleaf forests. Like all earthworms, it ingests earth, which it then expels through its faeces after feeding on its nutrients, thus contributing to the decomposition of organic matter and therefore to the enrichment of the soil.
The model on display is just twice the size of a real specimen. It was decided not to exhibit an original specimen because the dry preparation of earthworms does not yield results as good as those of the numerous other arthropods that crowd the room.
