What Do Sandworms Eat in Dune?

Dune is a classic novel by American author Frank Herbert, first published in 1965.

The science fiction epic is set in the distant future when authorities participate and withhold an interstellar feudal society where aristocratic families look over the planets they are assigned to.

The story follows young Paul Atreides and his family, who accepted stewardship over the barren and inhospitable planet of Arrakis. This planet is considered a wasteland with a very sparse population, few animals, and a little vegetation, but it is an important territory because it is the only place where melange, or spice, is produced.

Melange is a special commodity, a drug, because of its ability to enhance mental abilities and extend the user's lifespan. The spice is only available in Arrakis because this is the home of the creature responsible for the spice's creation-the Sandworm.

What are Sandworms in Dune?

Credit: Warner Bros

Sandworms are gigantic sub-terranean animals in Arrakis, and no one knows how they got there. Reports about the Sandworms claim that the creature can grow up to 450 meters long, but there are rumors that they grow up to 1000 meters in size.

The Sandworms live under the sand and are sensitive to vibrations on the surface. When they feel the vibrations, they. travel to its source and attack it to protect their territory.

Only a few people have seen a Sandworm and lived to tell the tale, and most of these people are the fremen who have gained a deep knowledge about the worm.

What do Sandworms Eat in Dune?

Credit: Warner Bros

Sandworms are like whales, as such a large beast in a barren landscape. They navigate through the sand and sift through spice pockets, which contain plankton, their preferred meal.

The Sandworm diet is a part of its life cycle, which is a pretty closed loop. Sandworms eat the plankton, which eats the spice. The spice, in turn, is produced when Sandworms die. If the plankton survives long enough, they get to grow to become Sandworms.