Earthworm Species About 2 700 species Nightcrawler most

Earthworm Species • About 2, 700 species – Nightcrawler (most common, from Europe) – Manure Worm (Compost Worm) – Green worm (can be green, pink, gray, yellow) – Snake worm (“Crazy worm”, very fast, from China)

Earthworm Anatomy • • Cold-blooded • Feel vibrations through ground Invertebrates • Setae= bristles for moving No eyes (Light sensitive) Breathe through skin • Can regrow tail -Can live underwater • Mucus secretion –Create stable tunnels

How long can they get? • Depends on species • Compost Worms – As small as 2 cm • Nightcrawlers – Can be almost 1 ft! • Longest Worm: South Africa – 22 feet from head to tail!!!

What/How do they Eat? • Not just dirt, but the remains of living things that are in the dirt! – Decomposers = eaters of dead material – Dead plants (leaves and roots) and dead animals – Also eat living organisms (bacteria, fungus, etc). • No teeth! Very strong mouth muscles – Eat small pieces of food – Also “swallow" soil - get nutrients from it – Nightcrawlers pull pieces of food into their burrows to eat later.

Why Do We Like Earthworms? • “Open up soil” – Burrowing – Oxygen and water • Fertilize the soil – Burrowing mixes soil – Slime contains Nitrogen – “Casts” (earthworm poop!) • Contains nutrients for plants • Helps soil p. H • Composting • Food for other animals

Earthworm Life • How many are there in my yard? – More than 1 million per acre • How long can they live? – Nightcrawlers about 6 years – Other species up to 10 years – If they don’t get eaten first! Average life in wild = 2 yrs • Hatch from cocoons – Can produce up to 80 cocoons per year (which could make about 240 babies)