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The Differences Between Snakes & Worms

Both snakes and worms are legless, can curl up into a coil, crawl and can scare someone with their sudden appearance. But beyond that, there are few similarities between snakes and worms. Snakes are reptiles while worms are insects. Worms are one of the most successful creatures on Earth while many snake species are endangered, including seven in the United States.

Amount of Species
- There are more worm species than just earthworms, although there are about 6,000 species of earthworms worldwide. In addition to earthworms, there are flatworms, roundworms, parasitic worms, segmented worms and microscopic roundworms called nematodes. Nematodes have the most species of any other animal group on Earth, numbering almost 20,000. In contrast, there are only about 2,700 species of snakes and all of them can be seen with the naked eye.
Environment
- Snakes can live on land, in trees and in water, including sea water. They thrive in deserts, woodlands, jungles and oceans. It is true that there no snakes in Ireland. Worms can live in far more places than snakes can because some species of worms need minute traces of oxygen to live. This opens up more places to reside in, including inside the bodies of other animals. Nematodes, for example, spend their lives inside plants, insects, animals and in dirt. Parasitic worms can live inside snakes, but snakes cannot live inside of worms.
Anatomy
- Worms breathe through their skin, making them slimy.
  
  Snakes have eyes and are deaf, although they can feel vibrations caused by sounds in their lower jaw. Worms lack eyes and are blind but have no trouble navigating. Snakes have skeletons inside of their bodies while worms do not have skeletons and can therefore squeeze their bodies into any shape required. Snakes breathe with lungs while worms breathe through their skin. To breathe, worms' skins need to be moist, which is why earthworms are slimy. In contrast, snakes are covered with scales that feel dry and supple, like fine leather.
Reproduction
- Snakes need to reproduce sexually and can lay eggs or give birth. Worms are generally hermaphrodites and can reproduce sexually or asexually, depending on the species. Some species of nematodes may need to be in the body of a particular host insect or animal before they can mature to reproduce.

Animals & Science