Lacking lungs or other specialized respiratory organs, earthworms breathe through their skin. Nightcrawlers are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs. Their body is characterised by this tube within a tube construction.
Nightcrawlers are beneficial earthworms that provide natural aeration of soil.
They allow water and oxygen to penetrate more easily into the ground. But they only differ in the size (European’s are larger). Earthworms have no eyes or ears, but are very sensitive to vibrations. Since nightcrawlers are not self-fertilizing, each worm deposits sperm into the other worms' eggs when mating, creating two separate sets of fertilized eggs. The European nightcrawler worm is actually the worm cousin of red wrigglers. This soil is called "worm castings", or in other words, "worm poop". Refrigerate at 40F. Most earthworms are better at regenerating tails than heads, but some can.
Now, you just had your first fun facts about worms. Latin veneta meaning "sea-blue") in color with a banded or striped appearance, the tips of their tails are often cream or pale yellow. Handle the worms as little as possible. Earthworms do not live in deserts or extremely cold, permanently frozen regions. They can regenerate new segments if they lose a few. They are often called Belgian Night crawlers, ENCs, Euros, and Super Red worms. They don't reproduce asexually, however; only half (and likely the head half) of an earthworm split in two will regenerate into a full worm once again [source: Tomlin]. Earthworms can also reproduce themselves if need be. Their feeding and excrement helps recycle nutrients and fertilize the soil. Some in Australia can grow to over 3 meters long! The European nightcrawler (Eisenia hortensis or Dendrobaena veneta) is a medium-small earthworm averaging about 1.5 g when fully grown. There are over 3000 different kinds of earthworms; Annelids – the phylum of which Earthworms are part, are good swimmers. Fertilization occurs outside of the worm’s body in a tiny cocoon. Many different varieties of nightcrawler exist, such as the African nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) and the Canadian nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris). European Night Crawler The ENC (Eisenia Hortensis) European Night Crawlers are fast becoming a favorite breed for the worm farm. Worms play an important role in creating rich soil that plants feed on to help them grow strong and bear lots of fruit. BE GENTLE. The head of a worm is always located on the end closest to the swollen band, called the clitellum, that encircles the animal.
In general, stick to the following rules and the worms will be happy. They average 3.3 ft (1 m) long, 0.79 inches (2 cm) in diameter and can reach up to 9.8 ft (3 m) long. Generally blueish, pink-grey (cf. Of the more than 180 earthworm species found in the U.S. and Canada, 60 are invasive species, brought over from the Old World, including the night crawler. The fact that they eat plants for energy makes them herbivores. Although native to Europe, earthworms are found throughout North America and western Asia. They can eat up to a third of their body weight in a single day. 3. The cocoon lays … Typically only a few inches (7 or 8 centimeters) long, some members of this species have been known to grow to a snakelike 14 inches (35 centimeters). Large earthworms, or night crawlers (Lumbricus terrestris), are cultivated and sold as bait for freshwater fishes and as humus builders in gardens. The Canadian nightcrawler on the other hand is also large in size, and is a very well-liked live fish bait. You can find them burrowing and thriving in most compost heaps or piles of animal manure. The Gippsland Giant earthworm is one of the largest earthworms in the world. It's called castings because the worm casts out its poop from its body.
The scientific name for the common earthworm is Lumbricus terrestris. Earthworm facts. The Gippsland Giant earthworm is a protected species only found in a small pocket of land near the bottom of mainland Australian. No extreme temperature changes. Invasive species of earthworms from the suborder Lumbricina have been expanding their range in North America.