Anecic species create more permanent burrow systems that can be quite extensive and stretch several feet deep. Lastly, there are the deep burrowing Anecic species, which contains the familiar nightcrawler. They are constantly moving, eating all the while and filling up their burrows with their waste – called worm castings – as they go. The second group – the Endogenic species – are found in the upper soil levels and do not have permanent burrows. These are the worms used for vermicomposting because they rapidly break down large volumes of organic matter. The first group – called the Epigenic species – are found very close to the surface of the soil, typically in the leaflitter layer. For simplicity’s sake, worms can be divided into three broad categories based on where they are found in the ground. They can range in size from less than an inch to over six feet long, and are distinguished by size, body shape, color, and many other minute differences. Not all earthworms are alike – there are upwards of 7,000 known species and counting. After a spring rain, however, they can travel across the surface, moving faster than they otherwise would. When the air is dry, worms are restricted to underground movement, which takes considerable time and effort. Another hypothesis suggests that worms might take advantage of the moist environment to travel. A little bit of moisture facilitates the exchange of air into and out of their bodies, but too much moisture inhibits this process, essentially suffocating them. Worms have no lungs, and instead breathe directly through their skin. While worms need to be moist at all times, it turns out that they can’t handle too much water. This behavior obviously makes the robins happy, but I can’t imagine it’s all that good for the worms themselves. But April showers always seem to bring something else out worth noticing – earthworms! A walk in the neighborhood the morning after a spring rainstorm reveals pink, wiggling – or sometimes not wiggling – worms on the sidewalks, streets, and lawns. Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 5:06 | Recorded on Earthworm (Nightcrawler)Īs we enter into May, the familiar old rhyme of ‘April showers bring May flowers’ is proving to be true.
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