大象传媒

Whilst we might take them for granted, Aristotle described them as the Intestines of the earth and Charles Darwin recognised their importance when he wrote: 鈥淚t may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures鈥�. As Brett Westwood discovers these 鈥榚cosystem engineers鈥� play a vital role in aerating our soils, aiding drainage, clearing up pollutants and if you鈥檙e a Gippsland giant and measure up to 3m in length, making themselves heard from below ground! They have also wormed their way into our literature, charmed our culture and burrowed into our language. Producer: Sarah Blunt.