Fun Facts and Trivia about Earthworms

Fun Facts and Trivia about Earthworms

Folk names for the earthworm include"dew-worm","Rainworm","night crawler"and "angleworm" (due to its use as fishing bait).Earthworm belong of the class Oligochaeta (phylum Annelida)—in particular, members of the genus Lumbricus.One of the most detailed studies of earthworm activities was conducted by English naturalist Charles Darwin.Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying  earthworms more than 100 years ago. Darwin said, “It may be doubted that there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organized creatures.” 

Did you know the ancient Egyptians were the first to recognize the beneficial status of the earthworm? Cleopatra (69 – 30 B.C.) recognized the  earthworms’ contribution to Egyptian agriculture and declared them to be sacred.Removal of earthworms from Egypt was punishable by death.Egyptian farmers were not allowed to even touch an earthworm for fear of offending the god of fertility.


The Ancient Greeks considered the earthworm to have an important role in improving the quality of the soil.The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.) referred to worms as “the intestines of the earth”.


Worms are hermaphroditic,meaning that they possess both sets of sex organs.However,they still need to mate with another worm in order to produce offspring.The raised band that encircles the worm is actually a carrying case for its eggs. Once the eggs are formed, the band migrates along the worm's body and it is then shed and the eggs left to hatch. 


The benefits of earthworms are well-known.They are tireless tillers of our soils and their castings are the richest and best of all fertilizers.It would be impossible to ever have too many in our gardens, unless you don't want lush, healthy plants! 


Earthworms:have been kept alive for 6 years,but in the wild probably live two years at the most;
do not have lungs, breathe through their skin, and can live under water for a while;do not come to the surface during rain to escape drowning, but rather to find a mate since their mobility is much better on wet ground;lack eyes but are light sensitive;can detect the motion of a robin (that can hear the earthworm in its burrow);may survive being frozen if the freeze is not too rapid.

WORM FACTS 

• SMALLEST Less than an inch. 
• LARGEST 22 Foot found in South Africa. 
• An earthworm has a brain, five hearts, and “breathes” through its skin. 
• An earthworm produces its own weight in casts everyday.
• There are over 1 million earthworms in one acre of soil. 
• Earthworms can burrow as deep as fifteen feet.
• Earthworms are 82% protein and are a food source for many people around the world.
• Eating earthworms can reduce cholesterol, as the basic essential oil of earthworms is Omega 3.
• Fishermen use them as bait.
• Best example of how to recycle.
• Eat food, yard, and garden waste and turns it into nutrients needed by plants.
• Help aerate the soil.
• Make it easier for plant roots to grow.
• Help the soil hold more water.

Earthworms are like farmers because they plow the soil.Earthworms plow the soil by continually  moving around in it creating channels where roots can grow.Then as they create the channels,they mix the nutrients they produce with the soil to help make the top level of the soil more fertile.

Worm tunnels allow more water to enter the soil .

They act as a duct for rain & oxygen.Help reduce dangers of water-caused erosion!By letting the water infiltrate into the soil quicker!

Worm tunnels make it easier for roots and plants to grow.As roots grow and reach the worm tunnel they can get into the ground easier!

Worm tunnels allow air to enter the soil.Worms break through the muddy soil after rainfall.These openings in the soil help with successful root and plant growth and allow air to enter the soil!

Worm castings are a mixture of organic substances, microorganisms, and soil.When passing through the digestive system of the worm these are mixed together forming an awesome fertilizer.The worm castings have a higher concentration of nutrients than the surrounding soil.Plants with roots growing in tunnels lined by worm castings show a better uptake of nutrients and healthier growth.

An earthworm can grow only so long.A well-fed adult will depend on what kind of worm it is,how many segments it has,how old it is and how well fed it is.

• A worm  has no  arms,legs or eyes.
• There are approximately 6000 different kinds of earthworms.
• In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
• The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.
• Worms are cold-blooded animals.
• If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die.
• They don't have teeth but they have strong mouth muscles.Dew worms or nightcrawlers often surface at night to pull fallen leaves down into their burrow. When the leaf softens a little they pull off small bits to munch on. Worms also "swallow" soil as they burrow.
• It takes more than 500 years to form one inch of topsoil.
• In one gram of soil,there are over 5,000 different types of bacteria.
• Nearly all antibiotics used to fight our infections are obtained from soil organisms
• One tablespoon of soil has more organisms in it than people on Earth.

High earthworm populations contribute to biological pest control as soils with earthworms has been shown to have far fewer parasitic nematodes than soil without earthworms. Many other soil borne diseases also appear to be reduced.

Earthworms gradually deepen the topsoil layer by burrowing into the sub-soil and translocating fine mineral particles to the surface in the form of castings.

Earthworms solve waste problems by composting organic matter.Composting with worms occurs four times faster than normal composting.