Amynthas
Sign in to savethumb|Jumping behaviour. Amynthas is a genus of earthworms in the family Megascolecidae. They are known as jumping worms, snake worms, or crazy worms because of their erratic thrashing behaviour when disturbed. The genus is native to East Asia, but they are invasive in many areas of the United States. They are a matter of concern in many states, as they disrupt the native forest ecology by affecting soil structure and chemistry.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumAnnelida
- ClassClitellata
- OrderCrassiclitellata
- FamilyMegascolecidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Appearance
- Life cycle
- Species
- References
thumb|Jumping behaviour. Amynthas is a genus of earthworms in the family Megascolecidae. They are known as jumping worms, snake worms, or crazy worms because of their erratic thrashing behaviour when disturbed. The genus is native to East Asia, but they are invasive in many areas of the United States. They are a matter of concern in many states, as they disrupt the native forest ecology by affecting soil structure and chemistry.
== Appearance == Amynthas species can be differentiated from other earthworms by their clitellum, which is pale, annular, is close to the head, and lies flat against the body. They vary in size between .