by Lynne Griffith

Created on: September 19, 2009

Anyone who fishes knows that night crawlers are the best bait to use. I, for one, fish with nothing else. One night, while in my back yard attempting to catch some for fishing the next day, I decided to learn more about them. You see, I was absent the day that we dissected them in school, so I really didn't know much more than they come out on their own at night or if the ground is soaked and that they are great for fishing with! They have no eyes at all, but they have organs that are light and touch sensitive that are called receptor cells. These cells help a worm determine how bright light is and to feel vibrations in the ground, both which can tell them if danger may be near. So, even if their head is in the ground, as soon as I walk towards them or shine even the tiniest bit of light on them, they know to retreat to avoid danger. through their skin.

Earthworms need a humid environment to keep their skin moist and coat their skin with mucus to help dissolved oxygen reach their bloodstream. I never knew that before. hen worms tunnel as deeply as they do into the ground, up to 6 and a half feet, they bring the subsoil closer to the top and mix it with the topsoil. That nasty slime on worms actually contains nitrogen which is important for plant growth. That slime also helps hold the soil together. Worms mate on the surface, not under ground. They have both male and female sex organs, but do not reproduce without a mate. They excrete sperm and eggs through that bump in their bodies, which is called the clitella. If the worm does not yet have this feature, it is not a mature worm. They two worms, while mating form a cocoon that is very tiny and shaped like a lemon. They deposit the sperm and egg cells into the cocoon and bury it. Two to four weeks later, baby worms are born and will begin to emerge out of the ground.

So, in attempt to learn more about them, I found out some very interesting facts. The first thing I learned is that, contrary to popular belief, when we cut a worm in half, it really does not create two worms! They really do have a head and a tail, and although they may be able to re-grow their tail, once the head is gone, it is gone in most cases. Okay, but how can I tell which end it the head and which is the tail? The head is the side that is located closest to that bump in its body. If you look watch the worm crawl, it will generally be crawling forward, and if you are unsure, you can always look at it under a magnifying glass.

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