When these worms hatch in 12 months they are around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long at birth. They breed in the warmer months and produce egg capsules that are 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length which are laid in their burrows.
They have relatively long life spans for invertebrates and can take 5 years to reach maturity. These worms live in deep burrow systems and require water in their environment to respire. They live in the subsoil of blue, grey or red clay soils along stream banks and some south- or west-facing hills of their remaining habitat which is in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. They have a dark purple head and a blue-grey body, and about 300 to 400 body segments. On average they weigh about 200 grams (0.44 lb). These giant earthworms average 1 metre (3.3 ft) long and 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter and can reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length however, their body is able to expand and contract making them appear much larger. The giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolides australis, is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species.
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