The unsung Earthworm is actually an extremely useful animal, raised by hobbyists, anglers, and agriculturalists alike. These insects are economically important, aiding in the process that puts fruit and vegetables on our tables!

One of the more common types of Earthworm is the Nightcrawler, so named because people often see these worms on lawns at night! These are commonly raised by fishermen, while Red Worms and Manure Worms are more commonly raised by agriculturalists. As they burrow, Earthworms eat soil. Most Earthworms burrow to about one meter deep in the soil. As they feel hot, they will burrow further into the soil to remain cool. They will also burrow more deeply to escape cold weather or freezing. Their burrows leave tunnels through the soil, aerating it and replenishing its nutrients with their waste materials. Earthworms may be nurtured in special beds before they are sold or to receive the benefits of their soil enrichment. Generally, a wooden or concrete frame will be fine, though barrels or tubs may also be used. This structure should be filled with organic plant waste or animal manure. If this bedding has not sufficiently decomposed, it may heat up and kill the worms. In such cases, it should be aged outside the enclosure, frequently turned or aerated until it is ready to place in the Earthworms' enclosure. You should probably turn the bedding two to three times in order to aerate it, and it should be changed by removing the top five to six inches, harvesting the worms, and placing them in fresh bedding. The old bedding is very useful, fertile, enriched soil! Most people feed their Earthworms low salt animal manures, grains, cottonseed meals, or mashes. Many people find that if they place food material in patties on the surface of the soil, it encourages the worms to remain in the top area of the bed where it may be easy to harvest them. Generally, the worms may be fed once a week. To ensure that the population is fairly controlled and the worms thrive, they should be harvested about once a month. To do this, many earthworm farmers cover a long table with waterproof plastic material and use a pitchfork to transfer the top few inches of bedding onto the table. The bedding is then exposed to hot lights, which cause the worms to burrow down deeply into the soil. Then, the top of the soil is swept away. This process continues until only the earthworms remain on the table. These may be sold or placed in a new bed. The anatomy and behavior of almost all Earthworms is the same, and these creatures are found almost worldwide!

The Earthworm's body is compartmentalized into segments. While Earthworms have about 150 segments, Manure and Red Worms have about 95 of these segments. Earthworms are very well adapted to life underground. They are covered in bristle-like hairs known as setae, which aid them in moving through the soil. Glands in the skin of Earthworms also secrete a sort of lubricant, which helps them move without much friction underground. There is a wedge shaped structure located on the Earthworm's head that also aids in soil displacement. The mouth is also located on this segment of the worm's body. Earthworms digest the soil with their highly specialized organs, able to extract nutrients from the ingested material. They breathe through organs in their skin, which exchange oxygen with the soil. Although this requires that they remain wet, it may also be easy for Earthworms to drown in wet soil. This is why they are known to emerge from the ground after a heavy rain. Cutting an Earthworm will not create two Earthworms. Rather, one half will certainly die and the other, which contains the central nerve bundle, may live but it will never be quite the same! More often, the entire worm will die of blood loss or stress. Earthworms have light sensors and will move away from light or harsh chemicals.

The Earthworm is very important because it aids in aerating soils, nourishing soils, breaking down detritus, and allowing water to better penetrate the ground! It is easy to see why many agriculturalists value these creatures. Although Earthworms are native to almost every area of the globe save those made unlivable by permafrost, there are many species. Some species were introduced to areas where they had not previously been native, by the introduction of foreign plants and soils. To encourage earthworms in your own garden, try to keep the soil from drying out completely and be sure it is not acidic- Earthworms may appreciate the addition of small amounts of lime to their homes! Earthworms are preyed upon by a number of external and internal parasites, in addition to larger animals like birds, moles, lizards, rats, snakes, mice, or toads!

When keeping Earthworms, try to allow them a temperature between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil they are kept in should generally be moist, but not muddy. The soil can be checked with a litmus paper, and should remain at a pH of about seven. Earthworms may not thrive or breed in dry or hot soils exposed to direct sunlight. White worms, ants, mites, and springtails all cause serious problems to Earthworms. Generally, prevention is the best method to avoid these problems! White worms may be introduced to Earthworm beds via manure. Ants may arrive from nearby environments, as can mites and springtails. To treat mites and springtails, leave the beds fairly hot and dry. In smaller beds, wet burlap bags placed on the surface will accumulate large numbers of these insects, and these may then be removed.

Earthworms are hermaphroditic, meaning they contain both male and female reproductive organs! These animals mate with each other, although if necessary they can reproduce by themselves! Mating takes place when eggs are deposited in an organ called the clitellum, located at the anterior end of the worm's body. Individual cocoons form around the eggs. These are fertilized by sperm and the entire organ is shed from the worm's body into the soil. After about three weeks, the cocoons will hatch between two and 20 Earthworms. The average is about four worms.