Earthworm

Distribution: Europe (native), North America and western Asia.

Size Length: Up to 35 cm

Weight: Up to 11.2 g

Life Span: Up to 6 years

Diet: Herbivore

Social life: Solitary

IUCN red list status: Not evaluated



The earthworm is a well-studied invertebrate. It has a thin round body composed by ring-like segments (in which the first one contains the mouth) and covered by setae, or bristles which are used to move and burrow. It is capable of digging down as deep as 2 meters.



Also known as night crawlers, the earthworm is commonly seen feeding above ground during the night time. They also mate on the surface and are hermaphrodites (this meaning they have both sexes) but in this case they do not self-fertilize.



As they burrow, they consume soil, extracting nutrients from decomposing organic matter like leaves and roots. Earthworms are vital to soil health because they transport nutrients and minerals from below to the surface via their waste, and their tunnels aerate the ground.

They are the source of food of many animals (mammals, reptiles, birds, and even fish) playing a vital role on numerous food chains.