Tests have actually shown they can survive being submerged in water for over two weeks. There’s various theories to why earthworms come to the surface when it rainsĬonvential wisdom is that earthworms escape to the surface to stop drowning, however as shown in the previous fact, they can breathe underwater. These things combined allow earthworms to absorb enough oxygen from water to keep them alive for months when submerged. They’re also cold-blooded so have a very slow metabolism. Earthworm can breathe underwaterĮarthworms breathe through their skin, which is quite common in slimy, soft-bodied creatures. This impressive find has blown the UK record of 15.7 inches (40cm) out of the water, but the latter, named Dave, has been immortalised in the museum database, making it possibly the largest worm called Dave in the world. In 1967, a colossal earthworm was found in South Africa that measured 21 ft (6.7m) long. They are commonly found in soil worldwide, where they eat organic plant matter, fungi and other weird microorganisms. However, they are filled with fluid and internally segemented with different chambers which helps them keep structure.Įarthworms are made up of many ridged segments and are covered in tiny hairs that help them move in the soil.
They are invertebrates, which means they don’t have a skeleton. While their are over 7,000 species of worm, only 150 of them are widely distributed around the world. However, our advice is to avoid worm taxonomy entirely and focus on the following, much more interesting facts. The best we can do at the moment is categorise earthworms as two of three orders under the Oligochaeta, called Haplotaxida and Lumbriculida.
Superclasses, infraorders and other confusing placeholders are implemented when taxonomists don’t know what to do with their specimens and it all gets very confusing. Then there’s a subclass determined by their bristles, used for locomotion, called “Oligochaeta’ but from there, things break down a bit. They’re also commonly grouped by class in relation to their reproductive collar, called a ‘clitella’, which puts them in the class ‘Clitellata’. Earthworms are all Annelids, which is a phylum of segmented worms. Worms in general are difficult to categorise.
Usually black or brown to pink, sometimes blue or iridescentīirds, mammals, reptiles, fish, arthropods – almost everything! Worldwide, except arid and frozen regions They’re slimy, wriggly, subterranean critters, but they do more for us than we realise!Įarthworms literally produce fertile soil from their back ends! Their role in the ecosystem is critical, and they are prevalent in almost every soil where there’s moisture. The earthworm is one of the most important creatures on earth and one that engineers the very foundations of the ecology we live in.
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