What type of worms are they? Earthworms or earthworms
Well known to everyone earthworms make up large group species belonging to different families of oligochaetes.
Our common earthworm, reaching 30 centimeters in length and a centimeter in thickness, belongs to the most fully studied family Lumbricidae, which includes about 200 species, of which about a hundred are found in Russia.
Types of earthworms
According to the peculiarities of biology, earthworms can be divided into two types: the first includes worms that feed on the soil surface, the second - those that feed in the soil. In the first type, one can also distinguish litter worms, which live in the litter layer and under no circumstances (even when the soil dries out or freezes) do not sink deeper than 5-10 centimeters into the ground. The same type includes soil-litter worms, which penetrate the soil deeper than 10-20 centimeters, but only when unfavorable conditions, and burrowing worms, which make constant deep passages (up to 1 meter or more), which they usually do not leave, and when feeding and mating, only the anterior end of the body protrudes to the soil surface. The second type can be divided into burrowing worms, living in the deep soil horizon, and burrowing worms, which have constant passages, but feed in the humus horizon.
Litter and burrowing worms inhabit places with waterlogged soils - the banks of reservoirs, swampy soils, soils humid subtropics. In the tundra and taiga, only litter and soil-litter forms live, and in the steppes - only soil ones. They feel best in coniferous-deciduous forests: all types of lumbricids live in these zones.
Lifestyle of worms
According to their way of life, worms are nocturnal animals, and at night you can watch them swarming everywhere in large numbers, while remaining with their tails in their burrows. Stretching out, they scour the surrounding space, grab with their mouths (at the same time the worm's throat turns slightly outward and then retracts back) raw fallen leaves and drag them into burrows.
Earthworms are omnivores. They swallow great amount soil from which they absorb organic matter, they also eat a large number of all kinds of half-rotten leaves, with the exception of those that are very hard or have an unpleasant odor. When keeping worms in pots with soil, you can watch them eat fresh leaves some plants.
Very interesting observations of earthworms were made by Charles Darwin, who dedicated to these animals great study. In 1881, his book “The Formation of the Vegetative Layer by the Activity of Earthworms” was published. Charles Darwin kept earthworms in pots of soil and most interesting experiments to study the nutrition and behavior of these animals. So, in order to find out what kind of food, besides leaves and earth, worms can eat, he pinned pieces of boiled and raw meat on the surface of the earth in a pot and watched how every night the worms tugged at the meat, and most of the pieces were eaten. They also ate pieces of dead worms, for which Darwin even called them cannibals.
Half-rotten or fresh leaves are dragged by worms through the holes of the burrows to a depth of 6-10 centimeters and eaten there. Darwin observed how worms capture food objects. If to the surface of the earth at flower pot If you pin fresh leaves, the worms will try to drag them into their holes. They usually tear off small pieces, capturing the edge of the leaf between the prominent upper and lower lips. At this time, the thick powerful pharynx protrudes forward and thereby creates upper lip fulcrum. If the worm encounters a flat, large surface of the leaf, it acts differently. The anterior rings of the body are slightly retracted into the subsequent ones, due to which the anterior end of the body expands and becomes blunt with a small pit at the end. The pharynx is moved forward, pressed against the surface of the sheet, and then, without detaching, it is pulled back and slightly expanded. As a result, a “vacuum” is formed in the hole at the front end of the body, applied to the leaf. The pharynx acts like a piston, and the worm is very firmly attached to the surface of the leaf. If you put a thin wilting cabbage leaf on the worm, then reverse side from the worm you can see a depression directly above the head end of the animal. The worm never touches the leaf veins, but sucks out the delicate tissues of the leaves.
Worms use leaves not only for food, but also plug the entrances to their burrows with them. For this purpose, they also drag pieces of stems, wilted flowers, scraps of paper, feathers, and scraps of wool into holes. Sometimes tufts of leaf petioles or feathers protrude from the worm's hole.
Leaves dragged into worm holes are always crumpled or folded into big number folds When the next leaf is pulled in, it is placed outside the previous one, all the leaves are tightly folded and pressed together. Sometimes the worm widens the hole in its burrow or makes another one nearby to collect even more leaves. The worms fill the gaps between the leaves with moist soil thrown out of their intestines in such a way that the burrows are completely clogged. Such clogged burrows are especially common in the fall before the worms overwinter. The upper part of the passage is lined with leaves, which, as Darwin believed, prevents the worm's body from coming into contact with the cold and wet earth at the surface of the soil.
Darwin also described how earthworms dig holes. They do this either by pushing the earth in all directions or by swallowing it. In the first case, the worm pushes the narrow front end of its body into the cracks between the soil particles, then swells and contracts it, and thereby the soil particles move apart. The front end of the body works like a wedge. If the soil or sand is very dense, compacted, the worm cannot move the soil particles apart and acts in a different way. He swallows the soil, and, passing it through himself, gradually sinks into the ground, leaving behind a growing pile of excrement. The ability to absorb sand, chalk or other substrates completely devoid of organic matter is a necessary adaptation for the case when a worm, plunging into the soil from excessive dryness or cold, finds itself in front of unloosed soil. dense layers soil.
The burrows of the worms go either vertically or slightly at an angle. They are almost always lined on the inside with a thin layer of black earth processed by animals. Lumps of earth expelled from the intestines are compacted along the walls of the burrow by vertical movements of the worm. The lining thus formed becomes very hard and smooth and adheres closely to the body of the worm, and the backward-curved bristles have excellent points of support, which allows the worm to move very quickly back and forth in the burrow. The lining, on the one hand, strengthens the walls of the burrow, on the other hand, protects the worm’s body from scratches. Minks leading down usually end in an extension, or chamber. Here the worms spend the winter, alone or in a ball of several individuals. The burrow is usually lined with small pebbles or seeds, which creates a layer of air for the worms to breathe.
After the worm swallows a portion of the earth, regardless of whether it is done for food or for digging, it rises to the surface to throw out the earth. The discarded soil is saturated with intestinal secretions and, as a result, becomes viscous. Once dry, the lumps of excrement harden. The earth is thrown out by the worm not randomly, but alternately in different sides from the entrance to the hole. The tail works like a shovel. As a result, a kind of tower of lumps of excrement is formed around the entrance to the burrow. Those turrets of worms different types have different shapes and height.
Earthworm coming out
When a worm emerges from a burrow to throw out excrement, it extends its tail forward, but if it sticks out its head to collect leaves. Consequently, worms have the ability to turn over in their burrows. Worms do not always release excrement onto the soil surface. If they find some kind of cavity, for example, near the roots of trees, in recently dug up soil, they deposit their excrement there. It is easy to notice that the space under stones or fallen tree trunks is always filled with small pellets of earthworm excrement. Sometimes animals fill the cavities of their old burrows with them.
Life of earthworms
Earthworms in the history of education earth's crust played a much more important role than it might seem at first glance. They are numerous in almost all wet areas. Due to the digging activity of worms, the surface layer of soil is in constant movement. As a result of this “digging,” soil particles rub against each other, new layers of soil brought to the surface are exposed to carbon dioxide and humic acids, which contributes to the dissolution of many minerals. The formation of humic acids is due to the digestion of semi-decomposed leaves by earthworms. It has been established that worms help increase the content of phosphorus and potassium in the soil. Moreover, going through intestinal tract worms, soil and plant remains are glued together with calcite, a derivative of calcium carbonate secreted by the calcareous glands of the worms’ digestive system. The excrement, compressed by contractions of the intestinal muscles, is thrown out in the form of very strong particles, which are eroded much more slowly than simple lumps of earth of the same size and represent elements of the granular structure of the soil. The quantity and mass of excrement produced annually by earthworms is enormous. Each day, each worm passes through its intestines an amount of earth approximately equal to weight his body, i.e. 4-5 grams. Every year, earthworms release a layer of excrement 0.5 centimeters thick onto the surface of the earth. Charles Darwin counted them up to 4 tons of dry mass per hectare of English pastures. Near Moscow, in a field of perennial grasses, earthworms annually produce 53 tons of excrement per hectare of land.
Worms the best way they prepare the soil for plants to grow: they loosen it so that there is no lump left larger than they can swallow, and they facilitate the penetration of water and air into the soil. Dragging the leaves into their burrows, they crush them, partially digest them and mix them with earthen excrement. By evenly mixing the soil and plant debris, they prepare a fertile mixture, like a gardener. Plant roots move freely in the soil along earthworm passages, finding rich, nutritious humus in them. One cannot help but be surprised when you think that the entire fertile layer has already passed through the bodies of earthworms and in a few years will pass through them again. It is doubtful, Darwin believes, that there are other animals that would occupy such a prominent place in the history of the earth’s crust as these essentially lowly organized creatures.
Thanks to the activity of worms, large objects and stones gradually sink deep into the earth, and small fragments of stones are gradually ground into sand in their intestines. Darwin, describing how abandoned castles in old England were gradually sinking underground, emphasized that archaeologists should be indebted to earthworms for their preservation. large quantity ancient objects. After all, coins, gold jewelry, stone tools, etc., falling on the surface of the earth, are buried for several years under the excrement of worms and are thereby reliably preserved until the earth covering them is removed in the future.
Earthworms, like many other animals, are susceptible to economic activity person. Their numbers are declining due to excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, cutting down trees and shrubs, and under the influence of overstocking. 11 species of earthworms are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. Successful attempts have been made repeatedly to relocate and acclimatize worms of various species to areas where they are scarce. Such activities are called zoological reclamation.
Representatives of the annelid type (rings) are considered the most highly developed worms. This phylum includes the class Oligochaete worms. What structural and vital features distinguish them from other worms?
Every vid like after summer rain earthworms appear on the surface of the earth (Fig. 18.1). They are expelled from the soil by water, which fills all the worm's passages. Carbon dioxide, released as a result of rotting organic residues in the soil, quickly dissolves in it. Feeling a lack of oxygen and an excess carbon dioxide, the worms crawl to the surface. But they don't stay here. As soon as there is less water in the soil, the worms return to their permanent place a habitat.
The earthworm spends the day underground, and at dusk it crawls out of the hole to get a supply of food. Having felt the fallen leaf, the worm grabs it with its mouth and pulls it into the hole (Fig. 18.2). It feeds on leaves, organic debris and various microorganisms.
Length earthworm is 10-13 cm. Its body resembles a hose from a washing machine: it consists of segments - dense rings connected by thin elastic ligaments. Thanks to them, the worm can curl and stretch freely. Several segments on the front of its body are thicker and noticeably paler than others. This is the so-called “po-yasok”, which plays an important role in the reproduction of the worm.
The body of the animal is covered with a thick moist cuticle. If you run your finger along it from the front to the back, you will feel that it is slippery and smooth, and when you do this in reverse direction- it will seem rough to you. The fact is that on the body of the worm there are rows of bristles (Fig. 18.3), directed towards its rear end, like the fur of a smooth-haired cat. The slippery cuticle and bristles are adaptations of the worm to life in the soil. To advance in it you need to have a smooth and slippery body. However, when moving against gravity, an animal with such a body will slide down. To avoid this, the worm and the necessary bristles.
Integument and movement of the earthworm. The earthworm, like all previously studied worms, has a skin-muscular sac covered with a cuticle. The annular muscle has two groups of muscles: circular and longitudinal. Material from the site
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Rice. 18.5. Earthworm movement pattern |
How is the movement of an earthworm (Fig. 18.5) related to the work of its muscles? To make a move in the soil, the worm contracts the circular muscles in the anterior segments of the body, and the longitudinal muscles in the further segments. The front part of the body becomes thinner, increases in length and penetrates into the soil. At this time, the next part of the body shortens and thickens, resting against the walls of the passage.
Then the worm relaxes the circular muscles in the anterior section and contracts the longitudinal ones. This way it widens the hole in the soil. At the same time, in the segments of the next part of the body, the circular muscles contract, and the longitudinal muscles relax. Rhythmically contracting the ring and longitudinal muscles in segments of different parts of the body, the worm makes a move. Sometimes, in order to make a move, the worm swallows lumps of earth that come across its path.
On this page there is material on the following topics:
Essay on why earthworms are needed
Why is a worm compared to a washing machine hose?
Message about worms for 3rd grade
How an earthworm adapted to life in the soil
Adaptation of an earthworm to life in the earth
Questions about this material:
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When moving, earthworms rely on short bristles located on each segment except the anterior one. The number of bristles varies from 8 to several dozen (in some tropical species).
The role of earthworms in the process of soil formation was one of the first to be pointed out by Charles Darwin in 1882. Earthworms create burrows in the soil (at least 60-80 cm deep, large species- up to 8 m), promoting its aeration, moistening and mixing. Worms move through the soil by pushing particles around or ingesting them. After the rains, earthworms come to the surface due to lack of oxygen, which is why they got one of their names.
Earthworms live on all continents except Antarctica, but only some species originally had a wide geographic range, the rest were introduced by humans.
Families
See what “Earthworms” are in other dictionaries:
Earthworms, a group of families of polychaete worms, including mainly. large soil species. The length of large tropical species up to 2.5 m (in the USSR up to 45 cm). The number of body segments is from 80 to 450. Each segment has from 8 to several dozen setae,... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
- (D.h.) the most studied group of oligochaetes annelids, soil organisms detritivores that accelerate the destruction process plant residues. About 1500 species of D. h. are known. They contribute to the formation of soil structure, as... ... Ecological dictionary
Modern encyclopedia
- (earthworms) family of oligochaete worms. Length from 2 to 3 cm with thickness approx. 1 mm to 50 cm with a thickness of 1.5 2 cm. Approx. 300 species, widely distributed; most numerous in forest and forest-steppe zones. They live in the soil and lead night look… … Big encyclopedic Dictionary
Earthworms- (earthworms), a group of worms living in the soil (crawl to the surface after heavy rains hence the name). Length on average 3-15 cm, rarely up to 40 cm (sometimes up to 2.5 m). About 1500 species, mainly in the tropics. They feed on decaying... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (earthworms), family of oligochaete worms. Length from 2-3 cm with a thickness of about 1 mm, up to 50 cm with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm. About 300 species, widely distributed; most numerous in forest and forest-steppe zones. They live in the soil and are nocturnal... encyclopedic Dictionary
Earthworms, the common name for a number of families of annelids of the class Oligochaetes. The body consists of rings, or segments (from 80 to 300). All segments, except the anterior one, bear 8 (in some tropical species there are several dozen)… … Big Soviet encyclopedia
- (Lumbricidae), a family of worms from the order Oligochaeta, class of annelids (anneliaes). Quite a few belong to this family large worms(10 to 30 cm in length) with thick skin, red blood and no eyes; in every... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
- (earthworms), family of oligochaete worms. Dl. from 2 to 3 cm with a thickness of approx. 1 mm, up to 50 cm with a thickness of 1.5 2 cm. Approx. 300 species, widely distributed; naib, are numerous in forest and forest-steppe zones. They live in the soil and are nocturnal... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
earthworms - Common name a number of families of annelids... Dictionary of many expressions
Books
- Earthworms and soil formation, Chekanovskaya O.V.. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology.
The book introduces the reader to the structure, lifestyle, taxonomy and methods of studying rain...
It's hard to believe that scientists don't yet know absolutely everything about earthworms. It would seem that you need to know as much as possible about a creature that absolutely every person can find in their garden.
But there is a lot that neither we nor scientists know about worms yet. Amazing facts are mixed with unexpected discoveries and not entirely pleasant conclusions. Let's start with this: did you know that there are a huge number of species earthworm ? Species are divided into three categories, representatives of which live in various levels
soils and have different feeding habits. Here's another one no less amazing fact : It's likely that that earthworm you dug up in your garden is actually invasive species
, changing the composition and functions of the soil. Read more about this and much more below.
Diversity of earthworms
There are about 6 thousand varieties of earthworms in the world.
One of the species we are most familiar with is the common earthworm, a popular fishing bait. Or an earthworm crawling to the surface after rain.
Invasive species IN northern latitudes
and in regions where the topography was formed by glaciers, most earthworm species are “non-native”. This greatly harms the forest cover and native vegetation.
Respiratory system Earthworms do not have lungs or other specialized respiratory organs
, so they breathe through the pores in the skin.
Movement
To move underground, the surface of earthworms must be slippery. This is why their skin exudes a special cooling emulsion that makes moving through underground burrows easier and helps keep their skin moist and slippery.
Each earthworm is a hermaphrodite, that is, both male and female, so after fertilization, both worms produce offspring.
They are fertilized on the surface of the earth, pressing their bodies together and exchanging sperm. The ring, which previously contained sperm, subsequently becomes a cocoon for the development of eggs.
Young worms emerge from eggs very tiny, but fully formed. They grow reproductive organs during the first two or three months and reach full size in a year. They can live for about eight years, but this is rare.
Regeneration
Earthworms and other earthworms are famous for their ability to regrow all lost body parts. Moreover, a worm cut in half becomes two separate individuals.
Digestion
The digestive system of an earthworm is a simple tube starting directly from the mouth and ending at the back of the body, from where environment all digested organic material enters. Interestingly, worms can even digest some soft stones, turning them into a nutritious paste.
In addition, the movement of the worm in the ground creates holes that improve air exchange and loosen the soil. All this is good, but not always, not for all regions and not for all types of soil.
Glacial terrain
During the descent of glaciers, masses of ice and water rushing from the mountains to the lowlands exposed the relief right down to the stones. There was practically no soil left and, accordingly, no earthworms. That is why in some regions almost all types of earthworms can only cause harm.
Northern forests
The boreal forest began to develop after the glaciers retreated. Therefore, there is an ecosystem that is not able to benefit from the work of earthworms.
These forests require a deep layer of slowly decomposing leaves, peat and other organic matter, which forms forest soil.
When earthworms invade these forests, they digest the humus too quickly, and as a result, nutrients become less available to young, slow-growing plants, and the soil, instead of remaining loose and light, becomes denser and heavier.
The earthworm has been known to everyone, probably since childhood. Everyone remembers pink creatures appearing out of nowhere after the rain. But not everyone knows that earthworm- this is a real treasure for the earth, they play big role in the ecosystem, enrich the earth nutrients, are food for many birds and animals. There are many interesting facts, revealing all the secrets of an “extraordinary” inhabitant of the earth’s bowels, who looks by no means attractive, but has of great importance in nature and human life.
Structure and description of worms
Earthworms are a type of annelid. They live mainly in moist soil rich in humus. Interestingly, the habitat is 5 continents - all except Australia. Features of them appearance these are:
Each segment also has bristles that help it move underground. The tube-shaped body completely lacks bones and cartilage; the body cavities are filled with liquid. The earthworm is perhaps the most amazing creature, living in the soil, it has no eyes, no lungs, no ears. Breathing occurs through the skin. A worm has several hearts, digestive system runs along the entire length of the body.
The mucous glands located between the segments secrete mucus, which protects against drying out, helps in movement underground, and prevents soil from sticking to the body. And it scares away predators because it tastes very bad.
The average life expectancy is from 4 to 8 years. However, there are cases when the age of the worm reached even 10 years. It is difficult to find such long-livers in nature, since any bird or rodent and, of course, humans pose a danger to them. Greatest threat Currently, chemical fertilizers are added generously to the soil, most of them are fatal to worms.
Favorite food
A very interesting question is what earthworms eat. Their “menu” is quite modest; the basis of the diet is fallen, rotting leaves, as well as other organic remains - roots, rotten wood. Worms have teeth in their stomach. Liquid-like soft food is absorbed through the pharynx, then muscularly pushed further - into the goiter, and then into the stomach, where it is crushed and ground with the help of the so-called teeth - hard growths similar to the incisors we are used to. When the gastric muscles contract, these hard tooth-like processes come into motion. Digestion occurs in the intestines.
Undigested food remains are deposited in the soil. In one day, an adult earthworm can process half a kilo of soil!
Lifestyle
As you know, earthworms are underground inhabitants. Most They spend their lives digging underground passages and holes; the network of such corridors can reach a depth of 2-3 meters. Worms are nocturnal animals by way of life. Their body is not at all protected from ultraviolet radiation, so the peak of activity comes in the evening and at night. As a “home” they prefer moist soil rich in humus. Animals do not like either sandy or overly swampy areas. This is due to breathing patterns.
They take in oxygen through their skin, but in excessively damp soil there is very little air, which causes inconvenience and the animal begins to suffocate. This explains their behavior after the rain. The ground becomes so wet that the worms are forced to crawl to the surface to avoid suffocation.
In dry soil, the mucus covering the skin dries out, depriving the worms of the ability to both breathe and move comfortably. With the arrival of cold weather, earthworms go into the deeper layers of the soil.
Reproduction of worms
The small soil dweller has the specificity of reproducing offspring. Reproduction of earthworms occurs mainly in warm time year and stops during drought and cold snap, when they go into the deeper layers of the soil to winter.
Everyone knows that earthworms are hermaphrodites. The body of the worm contains both male and female genital organs. However, this is not enough for reproduction. Invertebrates need another individual with whom the mating process will occur - exchange genetic material. Worms find a partner by smell, since their bodies produce pheromones that are sensed by another earthworm. Reproduction occurs as follows.
They mate on the surface of the ground in wet weather. In the process, the worms are pressed against each other so that the back end of one worm is pressed against the front end of the other, in other words, a jack. The mucous membrane ensures the exchange of sperm. After separation from each other, each worm remains with a part of the sperm-rich shell, which gradually hardens and becomes denser and passes to the anterior end of the worm, where fertilization occurs. Then the shell slides off the body and closes, forming a kind of cocoon, very dense in structure.
It safely stores about 20-25 eggs. This cocoon is able to protect eggs even in conditions of drought or extreme cold. However, as a rule, only one worm hatches from one cocoon; the rest die.
Role in nature
Some gardeners mistakenly consider earthworms to be harmful “insects” that eat young shoots and gnaw on plant roots. This opinion is absolutely wrong. On the contrary, they play vital role in creating fertile soil. Worms are a kind of factory, a humus production system. Worms also dig passages and holes, enriching the soil with oxygen and moisture. They improve fertility, mineral composition and soil structure. This process is gradual and occurs in stages.:
This is the role of invertebrates in soil formation.
In nature, everything is interconnected, so worms are little helpers not only in agriculture, but also have their own function in the entire ecosystem. They are the orderlies-cleaners of the earth, help in the decomposition of organic remains. And finally, the presence of worms is a good indicator of soil fertility.
Increase in quantity
Undoubtedly, the earthworm is good friend gardener and gardener. Therefore, you should not be lazy and create them favorable conditions for habitat and reproduction, for which beneficial invertebrates will repay a hundredfold. Main factor their vital activity is moisture (which is why, when you lift an old stump or garden bricks from the ground, you can observe the wriggling pink ponytails). They do not live in dry soil, but go to the depths.
The best way to maintain wet soil is mulching. This is covering the beds with a small layer of straw, leaves or humus. And also don’t be too zealous with chemical fertilizers.
Self-breeding
You can breed worms at home to use them for fishing, feeding pets - hedgehogs, bats, birds, as well as for producing vermicompost - a universal and environmentally friendly fertilizer. Vermicompost is unique product from recycled earthworm waste.
Breeding worms is accessible to everyone, simply and without investment. What for this it is necessary:
Like these ones simple rules will allow you to make a home vermifarm. These representatives of the “belt worms” class are unpretentious in care and nutrition, so diluting the required amount of them will not be difficult at all. An unusual farm will help show children what life cycle the invertebrates familiar to them pass through.
The story of Charles Darwin and earthworm. The great scientist has been known to everyone since school days as the founder of the theory of evolution. But few people know that this researcher was very interested in studying common worms. He devoted a lot of time to studying them, even writing scientific works on this topic. As an experiment, Darwin placed several individuals in pots of soil and observed them. During the experiments it turned out that the worms are able to eat even meat. The scientist attached small pieces of meat to the surface of the pots and checked after a few days - the product was almost completely eaten.
They could also eat pieces of their dead brethren, for which the biologist even called the worms the bloodthirsty nickname “cannibals.”
Decaying leaves are used by worms not only for food. They can drag and plug the entrances to their burrows with leaves, old grass, and scraps of wool. Sometimes you can find a hole filled with bunches of leaves and grass. Darwin assumed that this was insulation before the cold season.
According to the scientist, it is worms that help in the preservation of historical values and treasures. Over the course of several years, stone tools and gold jewelry are gradually covered with worm excrement, which reliably preserves them from the influence of time.
Invasive species currently 11 species of earthworms are included in the Red Book.
Invertebrates are 82 percent pure protein, making them a nutritious food for some peoples globe. Often travelers or soldiers in difficult situations who find themselves in the jungle survive by eating worms. Plus, this diet is good for your health! Scientists have found that eating worms lowers cholesterol levels.
The largest earthworm was discovered in South Africa, its length was 670 cm. This is a real giant!
Many people believe that if a worm is cut or torn in half, both parts will survive. But that's not true. Only the front part, the head, survives, since the worm feeds using the front part, and to live it needs to eat, like all living creatures. The front part will grow new tail, the rear one, unfortunately, is doomed to death.
The earthworm is a special inhabitant of our planet. It brings her great benefit. Therefore, one should not forget about its significance in natural system. Surprisingly, Charles Darwin considered earthworms to be somewhat similar to humans and suspected that they contained the rudiments of intelligence.