Earthworm Dissection

Earthworm Dissection

-Earthworms can live in the soil in a variety of places as long as they can stay moist and have access to nutritious soil. They are indigenous to Europe but are also often abundantly found in North America and Western Asia.

-Earthworms eat dirt, a nutritious breakdown of decayed leaves, roots, and manure. From the soil, they are also consuming living organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes.

-They breathe through their skin, which must be moist, thus moving air directly into their bloodstream. Worms do not have lungs. Since their skin has to be moist to breathe, they can’t become too dry or too wet or they will suffocate and die.

-They are hermaphroditic, which means they can both lay eggs when both parties mate. These eggs are laid in cocoons that hatch in around three weeks.

Sources-

http://www.fullcycle.co.za/index.php/Information/about-earthworms.html

http://extension.illinois.edu/worms/anatomy/anatomy10.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/

Dissection