Page 1 of 1

Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Tue 31 Jul, 2012 7:00 am
by David M
I was walking at Feathertop (VIC) on the weekend and on the Bungalow Spur track at around 1500m I saw an earthworm on the snow. I touched it and it moved showing it was alive (but barely?). I think that it either took a wrong turn and burrowed up instead of down or it may have been dug up somewhere by a bird and dropped. Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Edited title - site -> sight...

Re: Strange site in the snow

PostPosted: Tue 31 Jul, 2012 9:51 am
by Wollemi
The earthworm had a strange site in the snow.
You had a strange sight in the snow.

Most probably dropped by a bird, or could have been forced to leave waterlogged earth nearby (up to several hundred metres away actually), and blown to where you found it. In my non-expert opinion, it certainly did not burrow up through the snow.

Re: Strange site in the snow

PostPosted: Tue 31 Jul, 2012 11:01 am
by Strider
Earthworms burrow to feed on detritus in the soil. Not many nutrients in snow!

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Tue 31 Jul, 2012 12:26 pm
by Moondog55
Once or twice.
Always thought they were dropped there by a fumble beaked bird. although if there was running water higher up they could have been washed out and then washed down.

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Tue 31 Jul, 2012 8:55 pm
by corvus
I used to wonder what the Spiders I observed in the snow lived on until I saw the Moths, aint Nature wonderful :)
corvus

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 1:42 pm
by Kinsayder
Am I right in recalling that spiders are the creatures that live at the highest altitudes on earth?

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 4:52 pm
by Strider
Kinsayder wrote:Am I right in recalling that spiders are the creatures that live at the highest altitudes on earth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euophrys_omnisuperstes

The strangest thing about the above earthworm incident is that no photo was taken!

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 7:55 pm
by David M
Strider wrote:
Kinsayder wrote:Am I right in recalling that spiders are the creatures that live at the highest altitudes on earth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euophrys_omnisuperstes

The strangest thing about the above earthworm incident is that no photo was taken!


True, and I normally take pictures of such things, but what would it prove? All it would show is am earthworm in the snow and it would give no information as to how it got there.

Re: Strange sight in the snow

PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 8:00 pm
by Strider
David M wrote:
Strider wrote:
Kinsayder wrote:Am I right in recalling that spiders are the creatures that live at the highest altitudes on earth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euophrys_omnisuperstes

The strangest thing about the above earthworm incident is that no photo was taken!


True, and I normally take pictures of such things, but what would it prove? All it would show is am earthworm in the snow and it would give no information as to how it got there.

It would prove that it HAPPENED! :lol: