Wiggly Worms

Wiggly Worms

Small Animals, Big Changes What animal eats dirt, builds tunnels in the soil, and comes out at night? If you guessed an earthworm, you're right! Earthworms, or night crawlers, are found all around the world. These small animals change the soil in big ways.

Earthworm Bodies An earthworm's body is shaped like one tube inside another. A tube of muscle surrounds a tube that breaks down the food that the worm eats. An earthworm's body has more than one hundred ring- shaped parts. Each part can bend and stretch when the worm moves.

An earthworm moves by stretching out and pulling in its body parts. Small bristles on the worm's body help it grip the ground.

Slimy Worms! Slimy mucus on an earthworm's skin helps it stay cool and wet. Mucus helps earthworms slide through soil. When they dig, earthworms leave a mucus trail behind them. The mucus hardens on the tunnel walls, keeping them from falling in.

Worms also use mucus to protect their eggs after they mate. The mucus hardens into a worm cocoon. Baby worms stay in the cocoon for weeks or months. They come out when the soil is warm and wet enough for them to survive.