Worms on Earth. Earthworms.
Courtney Murphy; Mitcham; PAP Bio; 2nd period
At a glance..
Ecological Niche
Earthworm's role to the ecosystem..
Backround Info
Habitat
Predators/Prey
Man is the greatest predator of the Earthworm. Rodents, insects, snakes, and bird are also predators of the Earthworm. It's a pretty well sought after food because it's high in protein.
Ecological Adaptations
Sample Earthworm Dissection
Digestive System Close Up
Video explaining earthworm anatomy..
Earthworms help the environment too...
Human Impact/Influence
The quality of our soil depends heavily on the activity of earthworms. Earthworms compost, break down inorganic matter and also aerate soil. Earthworms are also a food source for many other creatures.
The way we treat the land through some farming and gardening practices seriously threatens the earthworm. Plowing kills worms, as do pesticides and chemical fertilizers. When the worm population is destroyed, more chemicals are needed to keep the land productive, it's an ongoing cycle.
Cladogram
Cool earthworm facts!
- Lacking lungs or other specialized respiratory organs, earthworms breathe through their skin.
- The skin exudes a lubricating fluid that makes moving through underground burrows easier and helps keep skin moist. One Australian species can shoot fluid as far as 12 inches through skin pores
- Each earthworm is both male and female, producing both eggs and sperm.
In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.
Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments