Worms do sleep but not the same way humans and other animals sleep.
A worms sleep occurs at specific stages during development; the worms enter this state each time they transition from one larval stage to another.
Some worms do have nests such as the tent worm.
Tent worms make their tent-like nests in the forks of branches while webworm nests are located at the ends of branches.
Fall webworms also enclose foliage or leaves within these nests.
When earthworms mate, a ring forms around the front of the earthworm's body.
This ring is called a clitellum which slides down the worm's body to pick up any fertilized eggs.
The clitellum falls off the worm to form a nest or egg case that is deposited into the soil where the fertilized eggs become embyos.
Worms don't drown in the rain unless they stay in the water for several weeks.
Worms can get oxygen through the water and through their skin and are capable of surviving fully submerged in the water for several days and even weeks.
Worms can go as deep as 6.5 feet deep into the ground.
However sometimes you may find worms within a few inches to a 1 foot deep into the ground.
Worms come out when it rains because they can't breathe underground when the soil is flooded.
So when it rains and the ground gets flooded the worms come out of the ground to get enough oxygen and to breathe or the worms would die.
Worms can survive in water but only for several weeks before they die of drowning.
A worms skin can absorb oxygen from the water but if they fail to leave the water after a certain period of time the worm can drown.
Earthworms can't bite and they are harmless to handle.
Not only do earthworms not bite you the earthworm does not sting you either.
A worm can't be hurt and won't be hurt simply by touching them.
Touching a worm will not harm the worm and touching a worm is not harmful to you as a human either as long as you wash your hands after touching the worm.
The worm can't and won't bite you either and you can pick up and handle worms safely bare handed.
Some worms do survive if you cut them in half and some worms regenerate after being cut in half.
The red wiggler, or compost worm, might regenerate a new head or a new tail, depending on where it suffers amputation.
Loss of any of the first 8 segments might result in a complete regeneration of the head.
The worm might grow a new head if cut behind the 13th segment, but it can't replace sexual organs.
If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms.
The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail if the animal is cut behind the clitellum.
A worm lives on average of 2 to 4 years.
Some worms may live as long as 8 years but the average lifespan of worms is between 2 to 4 years.
Worms also grow sex organs within the first two or three months of life and reach full size in about a year.
They may live up to eight years, though one to two is more likely.
Full size for an earthworm varies among species, ranging from less than half an inch long to nearly 10 feet.
When worms die their bodies decompose and are recycled by other worms, along with the food scraps.
Worm castings are toxic to live worms.
Earthworms multiply and reproduce by rubbing up against each other exchanging sperm which allows them to produce cocoons.
These cocoons can contain as many as 3-4 worms each and can hatch anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months depending on conditions.
Worms are born through cocoons.
Worms reproduce by joining their clitella (the swollen area near the head) and exchanging sperm.
Worms are hermaphrodites, having both male and female organs.
After mating, each worm will form an egg in its clitellum. After 7 to 10 days, the egg is released into the castings.
You can tell if a worm is a boy or girl by examining the worm.
Female worms are straight while males are hooked.
Examine the posterior opening.
A male worm has pineal spicules, or spine-like extensions, near its opening.
The worm will also have papillae, or bump-like protrusions, in front and behind this opening.
Earthworms are hermaphrodites, meaning an individual worm has both male and female reproductive organs.
Earthworm mating typically occurs after it has rained and the ground is wet.
Worms also known as an earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida.
They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments.
They occur worldwide where soil, water, and temperature allow.
Worms breathe through their skin, aided by the layer of mucus that they secrete.
If their skin dries out, they die.
Earthworms increase soil aeration, infiltration, structure, nutrient cycling, water movement, and plant growth.
Earthworms are one of the major decomposers of organic matter.
They get their nutrition from microorganisms that live on organic matter and in soil material.
When the rain hits the ground it creates vibrations on the soil surface.
This causes earthworms to come out of their burrows to the surface.
Earthworms find it easier to travel across the surface of the soil when it is wet, as they need a moist environment to survive.
Earthworms are the foundation of a healthy, thriving garden.
Called “nature's plows,” earthworms' tunnels improve soil aeration and drainage, making it easier for plant roots to penetrate the earth.
Earthworms' casts also improve soil structure and nutrient availability which increases garden productivity!