Worms do feel pain when cut in half.
Although the worm won't make a sound when cut in half the worm can and will feel pain although the worm will usually still survive and sometimes regenerate.
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!