Giant Spitter

The photo below compares the size of the Giant Spitting Earthworm (Driloleirus americanus) to your common night crawler. These worms, once reported as 'abundant', are rarely spotted these days (2005 marked the first and only spotting of the worm in 17 years).

These beasts can get up to 3 feet long, live in permanent burrows as deep as 15 feet, and spit at attackers. Also, they smell like lilies.

I can only assume that if the average earthworm is good for your soil, then a giant, spitting, lily-scented one is even better. Though, the whole thing seems like it belongs in a Harry Potter movie, not in my backyard.

Thanks for the photo, Ida.

Photo source: Live Science