'Threatened snake': How jumping worms are causing havoc in US

Report claim a worm species which can leap into the air has been spreading across the United States.

According to California's department of food and agriculture, the worms are "extremely active, aggressive and have voraciousappetites".

Jumping worms are considered aggressive as they out-compete common European earthworms, the department informed while warning that they "thrash immediately when handled behaving more like a threatened snake". They can reportedly jump at least a foot off the ground.

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It is eight inches in length with a dark body, they can reproduce without mating or asexually and the cocoons can survive soil temperatures below -20°Centigrades.

The jumping worms were originally found in Japan and the Korean Peninsula. They have been reported in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and several other areas in the US.

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The worms can reportedly cause severe damage to hardwood forests and are regarded a threat to forest health and can cause harm toornamental plantings, turf and lawns.

It is found in nursery fields mulch and compost and are considered a threat to horticultural crop production.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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