Country Life
10 things you didn ’ t know about
Earthworms
Earthworms are essential to life , multi-talented and spectacularly underrated , which is why they are slithering into the spotlight for this year ’ s Wild About Gardens challenge from the Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) and The Wildlife Trusts .
Download your free worm booklet at www . wildaboutgardens . org . uk .
• Not all earthworms are brown or pink . In the UK they can be deep red , black headed , green , grey and even a bit stripy , while one tropical worm is bright blue .
• Earthworms don ’ t have eyes - Instead of seeing , worms find their way using vibrations in the soil and light sensitive cells in their skin to guide them .
• Earthworms are hermaphrodites , meaning each worm has both male and female parts .
• The largest earthworm in the UK can grow to more than 30cm long ! It ’ s known as the nightcrawler .
• A worm can eat its own weight in soil in one day .
• Charles Darwin called earthworms the most important animal in the history of the world ! He dubbed them ‘ nature ’ s ploughs ’ for the way they mix soil layers and enable plants – the basis for terrestrial life – to grow .
• Earthworms are true engineers – they specialise in moving through the soil , creating networks of burrows and mixing the earth . This means oxygen and water can flow through the soil , allowing water to drain away after heavy rain .
• They also break down and recycle decaying plants , releasing
Photo : Worms by Alan Price
nutrients to increase soil fertility , which helps soil microorganisms and fungi to thrive .
• Earthworms can move smoothly through even very dense soil due to the mucus covering their bodies . They move by contracting the muscles surrounding their body , forcing their way through the earth . This moves air through the burrows , further mixing the soil .
• Worms eat the organic matter in the soil , such as dead leaves and plants . This breaks it down into smaller pieces , which they then pass out as ‘ casts ’. These casts are very high in nutrients that improve the quality of the soil , helping plants to grow .
Discover more with your local Wildlife Trust : www . hiwwt . org . uk
www . visitilife . com 77