Did you know that the earthworm is essential for our environment? He rumbles diligently through the earth, converts organically into fertile soil and, if it is very quiet, you can hear it struck – not cough! February 15 was declared for the “End of Endure Worm Day”. Fascinating facts about a useful animal.
A earthworm comes out without eyes, ears, nose, lungs, teeth and a skeleton, because he does not need all of this for his life underground. There are around 700 earthworm species worldwide, including around 400 in Europe and around 60 in Austria. You will not notice anything of your worship on February 15. In the cold season they are rolled deep in the earth and wait for “Better Times” – by the way, they also do that in the summer when they get too hot.
Animal good “drill”
In the spring and autumn, the earthworm grabs and eats almost continuously. Some copies even destroy up to half of their own weight every day! He ventilated and loosens the floor during the tunnel construction, which extends to three meters, and mixes the different layers of soil intensively. And thanks to its food behavior, the valuable nutrients of the earth leads.
Best fertilizer for the floor
Earthworms feel the most comfortable in an airy, damp soil. Her menu is on leaves, dead plant remains and micro -organisms. So that he can eat it, bacteria and fungi must first do the fragmenting work for the toothless worm. Once this has happened, the remains of the plant are devoured, digested and excreted again.
In the stools of the earthworms there are highly concentrated nutrients, considerably more than in normal garden soil. The inheritances are the best fertilizer for the range of plants. Because of its lively activity in the underground, the earthworm also lays the nutrients around – from bottom to top.
What the floor construction master is worried!
The soil seal represents the greatest risk for the earthworm. If floors are compressed heavily by heavy machines, the animals look for width. How climate change influences the population of earthworms is still open. Extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain and dryness, are increasingly a challenge for earthworms.
When a earthworm comes to the surface, numerous dangers lurked. If it stays outside for too long, it can easily dry out. To stretch your head out to pull food in the tube, can be dangerous. A earthworm has a number of enemies: birds, mole, hedgehogs, grass frog, fire salamander, snail and last but not least when he uses it as a visa.
Make one of one – is that true?
No! You cannot cut through a earthworm in the middle and there will be two. Even a earthworm has a brain and a few organs that don’t grow back alone. However, it is true that a worm, the back of which has been lost – for example due to the groundbreaking ceremony of an enthusiastic gardener. Once the intestine has remained complete, a piece of body grows.
Females and men in one
Earthworms are hermaphrodite, each of them has testicles and ovaries. Sexual animals have a skin thickening in the front of the body, the so -called belt. This knows where the worm is on the front and back: the belt is closer to the head.
The worm likes to be in it
At least one “wild corner” belongs in every garden. This area must be mowed as little as possible. In general, the less often mowed and the higher the grass, the more comfortable our housemates of our animals feel. The earth may not be dug too deeply, but may only be detached. Thin layers of mulch on the beds are a “wellness oasis” for earthworms. On the compost they like residues, onion scales and coffee grounds.
The Austrian Nature Conservation Association asks to share observations of earthworms via photo on www.naturaucht.at.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
