• Question: What do you like about earthworms?

    Asked by benbobo4 to Mark on 19 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Mark Hodson

      Mark Hodson answered on 19 Jun 2013:


      Hi benbobo4

      I just think the’re really cool. Darwin wrote a book about them called “On the formation of vegetable mould”. In it he wrote “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures”

      I think ultimately what I like about earthworms is that when you see them after it has rained they might look slightly weird or insignificant but actually there’s lots of stuff scientists still don’t know about them and without earthworms our soils wouldn’t really work properly so they are absolutely vital to life on earth.

      Here are some weird earthworm facts:

      Try typing “giant earthworms” or “blue earthworm” into google images or check out this video of a giant earthworm to see earthworms as you’ve never seen them before.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO4lkv-jLRs.

      Earthworms have about 5 hearts and eat so much soil in a day that it would be like me eating 300 bigmacs!

      Some species of earthworms reproduce by making clones of themselves.

      I could go on (and often do!). They are fascinating creatures that scientists are learning new things about all the time.

      cheers

      m

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