July 1, 2009 in City

Protection sought for giant worm

Groups file new petition for endangered status

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File photo

This undated photo provided by the University of Idaho shows the rarely spotted giant Palouse earthworm, Driloleirus americanus.
(Full-size photo)

Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are once again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators.

They filed a petition Tuesday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the worm be protected as an endangered species. “The giant Palouse earthworm is critically endangered and needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act to have any chance of survival,” said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity.

The center filed the lawsuit along with Friends of the Clearwater, Palouse Prairie Foundation, Palouse Audubon and Palouse Group of Sierra Club.

The worm has been seen only four reported times in the past 110 years, but supporters contend it is still present in the Palouse.

Decades of intense agriculture and urban sprawl have wiped out much of the worm’s habitat, its advocates say.

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