I saw a huge worm crawling around here last year and it freaked me out because I had just read about the jumping worms... I hope it wasn't one! I only saw that one, one time. I remember pointing it out to my husband and he was like "what's the big deal? It's a worm". I think it might have been a bad worm! I took a picture... I'll see if I have it but I admit I'm scared to think there might be more of them.

@wildflowers Was it one of these? They're spreading at an alarming rate around here.

Flat head worm, an invasive earthworm predator.

Eeek! No, Will, it didn't look like that. I hope I don't see that one either.

It looked more like the one in your article with a white ring. I remember the white ring, it was very distinct. It was about a foot long moving quite rapidly. I was able to run and get the shovel and hit the worm, cutting it in several pieces. My husband DID scoop the pieces up and threw them in the pond to feed the fish. I was thinking, I hope it's dead and won't grow into more worms. I don't know if it's true but I've heard some worms can regrow?

I haven't found the picture yet.

They are sold as bait. I'm sure some well intentioned people have put them in their gardens. I didn't know anything about them until I found this and have used them as bait myself. I thought they were native, or at least harmless simple worms. They call them "Alabama wigglers" after all, almost intentionally deceptive.

The flat heads are huge! I've seen them reach 3 feet in length.

Found it! From April this year;

Might be. Looks like it but I'm not qualified to tell from just a photo. Unfortunately it probably is.

For those of you who have two acres or more of property, need help restoring it with milkweeds, and live in parts of the country that this organization still doesn't have enough applicants, it's still not too late this year. It came to my attention because most of Texas hasn't had enough applicants this year and that appeared in a Facebook group that I'm on. I considered doing it for my 2.1 acres, but the minimum is four flats of 50 milkweed each and that seemed a bit much for me to handle right now. If not now, then you might try it next year.
https://monarchwatch.org/bring...

That is really neat Linda. Thank you for posting it. I hope all who can, will take advantage of it.

About a law to protect the Monarchs:
https://pasoroblesdailynews.co...

Linda - That is awesome! I hope they get the law passed!!!

It's not just limited to manatees or FL.

https://biologicaldiversity.or...

Ann - Yes, I had read about that situation with the manatees. It makes me furious that more is not being done to protect them and their habitat. It is so disheartening to fear that many of these wonderful species could be forever gone within my lifetime. I sure hope not.

Another study about what some chemical pollution is doing to wildlife

http://www.timberjay.com/stori...

crawgarden said:Another study about what some chemical pollution is doing to wildlife

http://www.timberjay.com/stori...

Awwww, geez!

Re the Timberjay study; I wouldn't be surprised if they found that much of the deer that tested positive for neonics were fed corn...

wildflowers said:Re the Timberjay study; I wouldn't be surprised if they found that much of the deer that tested positive for neonics were fed corn...

I bet you're right.

We were down at our cabin in Gause, TX last week and we saw three huge monarch butterflies. We have a LOT of butterfly species there, but have only seen a very few monarchs over the 4 years of ownership of that 40 acres. We thought it a treat to see 3 in one day! Made my day! Sorry I didn't get a photo, as my camera bettery was dead and I had the wrong charger with me. Hate when that happens. They flitted away too fast to have captured them anyway.

Ravens

https://abcnews.go.com/Weird/w...