The Oregon giant earthworm (Driloleirus macelfreshi) is one of the largest earthworms found in North America, growing to more than three feet (0.91 m) in length….
Without earthworms, the planet would look like the moon, barren with no sign of life.Worms breathe through their skin, aided by the layer of mucus that they secrete. Said to be shy of the light, they burrow during the day and stay close to the surface, but they can dig down in the soil as deep as 6.5 feet.Įarthworms are the building blocks to every living thing, including us. Why are some worms called night crawlers? They are often called night crawlers because they are often seen feeding above ground at night. One worm found in Africa was 22 feet long. Worm range in size from microscopic to 16 feet in the Amazon and the Giant Gippsland worm of Australia is 8-9 feet. Worms were wiped out in North America during the last Ice Age, but were introduced to North America by settlers from Europe who carried plants from their native land that contained earthworms. They have light sensitive cells on their skin that respond to light and vibration. Worms have five hearts, and they move through the earth with microscopic hairs that act like grappling hooks called setae. If cut in half, they can make two worms, but they will be sterile. They are the only land animal that can regenerate. Worms are the second oldest organism on the planet and have remained unchanged for 500 million years. Recent studies show it’s not the flooding of the Nile River, but the earthworms that make the Nile Valley so rich.Ĭharles Darwin studied worms for 39 years and concluded that: “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures.” The Roman emperor Mark Antony came to Egypt to broker a deal with Cleopatra about feeding his army with the grain that was grown in the rich Nile Delta. Removing earthworms from ancient Egypt was a crime punishable by death. Ancient civilizations knew the value of worms. The Greek philosopher Aristotle called earthworms “the intestines of the earth”.Įarthworms are one of the oldest creatures on earth. Since they have no bones, earthworm fossils are rare but they do exist. Fossil records show that earthworm-like creatures have been around for about a billion years and survived the extinction of the dinosaursĦ5 million years ago.
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