Worm Sex: The secret sex life of earthworms
(updated June 2024)
When worms mate, they lay beside each other, facing opposite directions. Yes, one end is the head, and the other is the tail, although both ends look the same. Then, they secrete a sticky mucus that covers both worms and temporarily glues them together.
Hermaphrodites
Worms are hermaphrodites, meaning that each worm is both male and female. To mate, two worms glue each other together with mucus. Each worm, using its male parts, inserts sperm into the other worm. Eventually, the mucus dries up, and the two worms go their own way.
The Clitellum
You may have noticed that worms have a light-coloured rubbery band around them. You can see it in the photos here. It is called a clitellum. When the time is right, this band comes loose and begins to move down the worm’s body. As it moves along the worm, it picks up the sperm and the eggs and the eggs become fertilized. This band continues to move until it slides off the end of the worm. When it gets off the worm’s body, the ends close and seal, becoming a cocoon for the worm eggs. Eventually, the baby worms will emerge from the cocoon. The cocoon is smaller than a grain of rice.
Worm Eggs
If you think finding a needle in a haystack is difficult, try finding worm eggs. I have not seen one of these cocoons, and I imagine they are almost impossible to find. The only way to get one would be to raise worms in captivity in an aquarium.
Earthworm Facts
The worm’s first segment contains its mouth. As they burrow, they consume soil, extracting nutrients from decomposing organic matter like leaves and roots.
Earthworms do not have lungs. They breathe through their skin. If they dry out or get covered in water, they will die. That is why you see many worms after a rainstorm when rain fills their borrows.
Worms breed every seven to ten days. There are thousands of different worm species around the world.
Worms are beneficial as their borrows aerate the soil. Gardeners love them. You can even buy them on the internet. Many people make a business of raising worms for gardens and fish bait. In Canada, 13 million dollars worth of worms are exported yearly to other countries. In the United States, the number is $54 million.
The weight of all the worms living under the soil on a farm is probably greater than the weight of all the livestock. Depending on the quality of the soil, there can be between 250,000 and 1,750,00 worms per acre.
Worms don’t have eyes.
Back to looking for birds
Photos of worm eggs courtesy of Home Grown Fun
Enjoyed this piece. At school I call the clitellum the “cocoon maker”. I made a model of a red wiggler worm with a pool noodle toy and the kids love to see how food gets digested and moves through its body. The reproduction part is mentioned briefly at a high level. http://www.homegrownfun.com
Thank you very much Cindy and thank you for the photos. Tom
muy interesante, gracias