Wiggly Wiggling Worms

What could possibly be appealing about a slimy, crawling creature that lives in dirt? While we might not think earthworms are pretty, none of us would be here without them!

Earthworms are found all over the world, wherever there is dirt. Your own backyard may contain as many as 50,000 worms! That's like having 50,000 tiny gardeners working the soil. In one year, those earthworms will move tons of soil when they burrow through the ground eating dirt and dead leaves. The earthworm passes this food through its digestive system, leaving behind piles of dirt called "castings". These castings are rich in nutrients that fertilize the soil. All this makes for healthy soil, and without healthy soil we would not have any trees or plants, which we need to live.

Did you ever notice that sidewalks and paved roads are littered with many earthworms after a spring rain? People used to think the worms fell from the sky. Actually, earthworms have to leave their flooded burrows or they could drown. They cannot remain above ground for long, though. Earthworms breathe by absorbing oxygen through their wet skin. If they remain above ground, the sun will dry out their skin, and they will not be able to breathe.

There are over 3,000 kinds of earthworms. The giant Australian worm can grow to be 3.7 meters (12 feet) long! But most earthworms are only a few inches long. All earthworms, whether short or long, are basically alike. Earthworms have no bones. Their bodies are made up of rings of muscles and they move by stretching, then squeezing these muscles. They can twist into all kinds of shapes, even knots. Sometimes if a robin catches an earthworm by the tail, the worm will pull away and its tail snaps off. The earthworm can grow a new tail. People often do not realize the importance of all kinds of animals in maintaining life on our planet. Earthworms may be small, but their job as "nature's gardeners" is a big one.

Help earthworms! After a rainstorm, most earthworms on pavement wiggle back to soil. However, if the sun comes out, move earthworms off paved areas before they get baked to death. Move them to nearby soil where the water has drained off.

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