Recently, scientists observed a living tower of worms in nature for the first time. The footage shows an eerie white structure moving like a tentacle — this is actually thousands of nematodes working together to search for food. Nematodes, or roundworms, are microscopic organisms found virtually everywhere, from soil and water to the bodies of plants and animals.
There's something unsettling about watching these tiny organisms collaborate to form a writhing tentacle. This particular formation was documented inside fallen fruit in an orchard. No thank you!
Research from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany reveals that these worm towers form under specific conditions: when large populations of nematodes face food scarcity and have a surface to gather on. The structures function like a living bridge or tentacle, with a fixed base and a mobile end that can reach toward potential food sources or latch onto larger animals for transport. Some nematode species can build towers reaching up to 50 millimeters in height.
See also: Raining worms in Scotland
