Random Info

A long time ago, I wrote this for someone who expressed an interest in my worms. Unfortunately, I didn't put it in any kind of order, so it's kind of haphazardly organized. I hope you enjoy reading it! And maybe even learn something :)

There are three types of earthworms. Endogeic, anecic, and Epigeic. Endogeic worms live in the rhizosphere, the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms. They burrow ~20 inches down into the soil and return to the surface to eat leaf litter, soil, organic matter, fungi, and microorganisms. Anecic worms are the largest of the three groups. They can reach a size of five to eight inches long and live in permanent vertical burrows that can be up to six feet long. An example of this type of worm is the L. terrestris, otherwise known as the Night Crawler, which is very popular with fishermen. Epigeic worms live in the first layer of the forest soil and are usually less than three inches long. These worms do not have permanent burrows. My Eisenia foetida (red wrigglers) are epigeic.

Now for a short history lesson. During the last ice age, the American earthworms found refuge on the warmer coasts. When the ice age ended, they began to slowly migrate inland. They made very slow progress, and when the Europeans arrived, they still had not made it to the middle of the continent. In Europe, when the ships were getting ready to set sail, soil was collected for the ship’s ballast, and in that soil were earthworms. Once the ships crossed the ocean and were in American ports, they dumped the soil, thus setting free the stowaways. It turns out that the Europeans were better adapted to the soil conditions here that the native earthworms were, but even though, only three of the eight invasive species thrived.

These invasive species have done great harm to our ecosystem. They attacked the layers of quietly decomposing leaves in the forests indiscriminately, consuming feet of leaf litter in a matter of years, and displacing many of our native decomposers. And when spring came, many plant species could not survive without the protective layer they were used to having. The soil was also denser than they had adapted to, so it was harder for the plants to get started.

What I do is a mixture of Vermiculture and Vermicomposting. Vermiculture usually has an emphasis on the worm’s health, size, and reproduction rate, while vermicomposting focuses on the production of castings (worm feces) and normally has a smaller average worm size and slower reproduction rate. Many vermicomposters simply throw food in the worm bin for a few months and then let it sit for a year or so. This ensures that all of the food waste has been processed, but the worms have mostly died off. Occasionally there are cocoons there that can be used to restart the bin, but most of the time the vermicomposter has to buy more.

Earthworms start their life in a cocoon with several other eggs. The number of worms that hatch from each cocoon varies depending on the species, but for Eisenia foetida the average is three or four. The babies spend approximately four weeks in the cocoon and then hatch. (Here is a link to a video that shows a baby exiting its cocoon. http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/video_clips.html) Around sixty to ninety days after it hatches, the juvenile worm will develop their clitellum. The clitellum is the white band you see on all adult worms. This is their only sex organ, as worms are hermaphrodites. To mate, the two worms overlap their front ends so that each clitellum is connected to a spot near the other’s head and they each exchange sperm. The clitellum turns reddish or pinkish and secretes a ring around the worm’s body. The worm backs out of this ring, and as it passes over the area where the sperm collected during mating is stored, it collects it and eggs. This ring forms the cocoon, in which the infant worms reside for another month or so.

Here are some fun facts about earthworms:

When you cut an earthworm in half, it usually dies. Occasionally the head will grow a new tail, but not always.

Worms can live for months in water, as long as it is oxygenated. They come out of their burrows when it rains because the rain water is not oxygenated.

Worms must stay moist to live. If they dry out they die.

Worms breathe through their skin.

They have a gizzard, just like birds and some reptiles and fish.

Worms are hermaphrodites, that means that they have both male and female parts but must have a partner in order to reproduce.

In one acre of land, there can be over a million earthworms.

Earthworm castings is very rich fertilizer and does not burn plant roots.

There are over 2700 different species of earthworms in the world.

The Giant Gippsland Worm, found in Australia, can reach a size of one meter, but there are records of specimen measuring over two meters long!

In the town of Korumburra in Australia, there is an annual worm festival called Karmai that celebrates the Giant Gippsland Worm.

The Giant Gippsland worm is so fragile that even the slightest contact with human skin can kill it.

The largest worm ever found was in South Africa, it was 22 feet long!

Worms eat their own weight in food every day.

Worms are cold-blooded.