Hobbies And Interests

Features of Earthworms

Approximately 2,700 different species of earthworms inhabit the earth. Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, studied these little creatures for nearly 40 years. Students dissect worms in science class, and adults use them in their compost piles and as bait when fishing. Birds and lizards feed on them.
  1. Physical Description

    • The common earthworm grows to be about 7 or 8 centimeters long, although they can grow much longer. According to the University of Illinois, an earthworm found in South Africa measures 22 feet in length. Depending on the species, the color of an earthworm can range from dark red to a purplish-red to a brownish-green. These creatures don't have backbones, making them invertebrates. Their bodies consist of segments annuli. The first segment, known as the peristomium, contains the mouth. Worms have no eyes. Small bristles, called "setae," cover each segment and allow the worm to move and burrow in the dirt as well as sense their environment.

    Food

    • Earthworms will live anywhere that they can find food, along with moisture, oxygen and a temperate climate. These worms ingest soil and extract organic material such as decaying leaves for nutrition. They also feast on living organisms such as microscopic worms called nematodes, bacteria and fungi that live in the dirt. They can eat up to a third of their body weight in a single day.

    Reproduction

    • Earth worm possess both male and female reproductive organs, making them hermaphrodites, but can't reproduce on their own; they need another worm to fertilize their eggs. To procreate, two worms arrange themselves so they lie side by side but face opposite directions. They secrete a mucus that bonds them together then exchange sperm through a body part called the "clitellum." Afterward, the worm secretes a cocoon that contains the sperm and eggs from the clitellum. In two to four weeks baby worms emerge from the cocoon.

    Benefits

    • The presence of earthworms benefits the soil. Through their waste, they bring underground nutrients and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, carbon, calcium and potassium to the surface topsoil. They also secrete a slime that contains nitrogen, an important nutrient for plant life. When they tunnel through the soil, they aerate the ground. The introduction of air to the soil helps oxygen, water and fertilizer reach the roots.


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