Earthworms hold a significant place in the animal kingdom due to their diverse species and varieties. To many of us, the appearance of worms may be repulsive as we see them squirming through the soil and over sidewalks, causing shivers down our spines. However, what many people overlook are the important benefits of earthworms, often described as the farmers’ friends, due to their extensive significance in gardens, orchards, and soil.
Let’s explore more about these animal from teketrek.
Information about the worm:
Worms are invertebrate animals, meaning they lack a vertebral column, and they are characterized by thin, elongated, and soft bodies. Additionally, worms do not have legs. Scientific Name: Nereididae
The shape of the worm resembles a tube, with a swelling at the front of the body called the saddle. All worms have cylindrical and flexible bodies surrounded by segments that allow them to bend, twist, turn, and move forward in the soil.
Their length ranges from 2 cm to +3 meters, depending on the species. They also have a complete digestive system consisting of a mouth, a digestive tract, and an excretory canal.
The worm’s body lacks pigmentation due to its continuous presence within the soil, away from sunlight. Therefore, its body color is generally white, gray, or pink, with bodies tending to redden overall due to the presence of hemoglobin pigment.
All segments of the worm’s body, except the first segment, are covered with spines or coarse hair called setae, which help the worm maintain its position while burrowing in the soil.
The lifespan of a worm depends on its species, with an average lifespan of 6-9 years for earthworms, and some may live up to 20 years.
Worms do not have specialized respiratory organs or lungs. Oxygen enters through the skin, and if their skin dries out, they will suffocate. This means they require continuous moisture, and if the soil dries out, they die.
Worms do not have a stomach but rather intestines, which work to break down food and absorb nutrients.
Worms have a mouth with three lips or six around the mouth opening. They often have a set of teeth on their inner edges.
Worms are small parasitic creatures that live as parasites on the bodies of other animals and humans.
Among the most well-known types of worms found in the human body are pinworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and liver flukes. These worms cause various diseases in humans, and infections usually occur after consuming contaminated food or water.
Scientists estimate that there are more than 2700 species of worms.
Reproduction of the worm:
Worms are hermaphroditic animals, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs and do not have a distinct sex. In other words, there are no male and female worms; each worm is both male and female simultaneously, and therefore, each one lays eggs.
Worms prefer mating and reproducing in moist, warm soil away from light.
During mating, worms align themselves so that their heads are in opposite directions to form a mating collar.
Each mating collar contains 1-5 worms, which are very small in size, smaller than a grain of rice, and yellow in color.
Moreover, the eggs do not hatch inside the mating collar unless conditions are suitable. If it is dry, they remain dormant for years, waiting for suitable hatching conditions.
However, under suitable conditions, the eggs hatch within 2-3 weeks. The young worms, appearing white, emerge and become independent from birth. When they reach 6 weeks of age, they can reproduce and start a new life cycle.
Worm Diet:
Worms feed by ingesting soil when the weather is dry and food is scarce.
They consume bacteria, algae, as well as dead animals, plants, and animal waste.
Worms are considered scavengers as they can consume up to one-third of their body weight in soil, including plant leaves and roots. They particularly favor carrot and cabbage leaves.
Habitat of the Worm:
Worms live inside the soil and in any spot that provides suitable conditions such as food, oxygen, and appropriate temperature and moisture levels.
They are distributed worldwide except in the Antarctic continent and the high Arctic.
Most of them live on land and in places with moist soil and dead plant material. Therefore, they are abundant in lush rainforest areas and environments with mud, clay, and freshwater.
Most worms prefer to live below the soil surface, about one meter deep. However, worms can adapt and live in various environmental conditions. Some are adept swimmers in the oceans, while others dwell deep within the soil. Additionally, some parasitize humans and animals, capable of reproducing and living inside their bodies.
Benefits of Worms:
- Improving Soil Structure: Worms that burrow tunnels in the soil help facilitate the flow of water and air, thereby enhancing oxygen diffusion to plant roots, promoting healthy plant growth.
- Organic Matter Conversion: Worms play a crucial role in converting organic waste into nutrient-rich material for plants. As they consume organic matter, they produce high-quality organic fertilizer, enriching the soil with essential nutrients.
- Livestock and Fish Feed: Worms are utilized as bait and food for fish and birds. They can also serve as a protein-rich feed for farm animals such as cattle, sheep, poultry, and rabbits. In the United States and Canada, dried worms are commonly used as a daily dietary supplement.
Types of Worms:
- Silkworm: This worm manufactures silk threads from which natural silk is woven.
- Flatworm: Belonging to the flatworm family, these worms have soft, jelly-like bodies. Most of them are known to be parasitic, meaning they live on a host animal to obtain their food. Examples include flukes, tapeworms, and roundworms.
- Pinworm (parasite): A type of parasitic worm, white in color, with a diameter of about a millimeter or slightly more.
- Vinegar Eel: A type of worm that can live in vinegar and is commonly found in types of vinegar produced by conventional methods.
- Tapeworm: Humans can be infected with tapeworms by drinking contaminated water or consuming raw meat. Tapeworms appear as long white ribbon-like structures and can live inside the human body for up to 30 years.
- Nematode: Belonging to the phylum Nematoda, these are cylindrical worms and are known to be the most abundant animals in the world. There are about a million species of nematodes, including meat-eating worms, herbivorous worms, and parasitic worms.
- Oligochaeta: Belonging to the annelid family, these worms can be found in all environments and are characterized by having segmented bodies, hence known as segmented worms.
- Earthworm: The most widespread of annelid worms, found in moist, organic-rich soil. They vary in length from 1 cm to 4 meters, with the longest found in Africa and Australia.
- Trematoda: More common in animals than humans, these worms can infect humans through the consumption of contaminated watercress and other aquatic plants. They live in various parts of the human body, such as the intestines, blood, and tissues.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is a worm considered a reptile?
No, a worm is not considered a reptile. Worms belong to completely different animal groups than reptiles. Worms are often invertebrate animals, meaning they do not have a backbone. Various worm species include annelids like earthworms, nematodes, and flatworms.
- Where do worms come from?
Worms typically come from their natural environment that provides suitable conditions for living and reproducing. They are commonly found in moist soil rich in organic matter, such as gardens, agricultural fields, and pastures.
- How long do worms live?
The lifespan of worms varies depending on the species and the environmental conditions they live in. Generally, earthworms can live for several years, with some species reaching over a decade in age.
- What is worm slang for?
“Worm” can be used as slang for a person who is considered weak, cowardly, or untrustworthy. It can also be used to refer to someone who behaves in a deceitful or sneaky manner.
- Is a worm a bug?
In common language, the term “bug” is often used informally to refer to any small creature, including worms. However, in the context of biology and entomology (the study of insects), a worm is not classified as a bug. “Bug” typically refers to insects of the order Hemiptera, which includes creatures like true bugs, aphids, and cicadas. Worms, on the other hand, belong to various other groups such as annelids (e.g., earthworms) or nematodes (e.g., roundworms), which are not classified as bugs.
- What kind of animal is a worm?
Worms are a diverse group of animals belonging to different taxonomic classes. Some common types of worms include:
- Annelids: These are segmented worms, such as earthworms and marine bristle worms.
- Nematodes: Also known as roundworms, they are unsegmented worms found in various habitats, including soil, water, and within other organisms.
- Platyhelminthes: These are flatworms, including tapeworms and flukes, which can be parasitic or free-living.
- Nematomorpha: These are horsehair worms, which are often found in aquatic habitats.
These are just a few examples, but there are many other types of worms found in different ecosystems worldwide.
In conclusion, although we all dislike the appearance of worms and are dismayed by their intrusion into our bodies and the afflictions they cause our children, they remain among the wondrous creations of God, designed for divine wisdom that only the Creator knows.
Sources:
