Annelid · not an insect · Lumbricus terrestris
Discover the common earthworm
Work happens beneath the leaves. An earthworm helps the pair discover living soil.
The short answer
An earthworm has many ring-like body sections and no legs. Oxygen enters its body through moist skin. Its burrows make paths for air and water through soil. Observe without digging it up or letting it dry out.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel studies an old leaf beside a little hole. Part of an earthworm emerges. Flauschi“Someone works beneath the surface,” says Flauschi.
Puschel leaves the soil untouched. Puschel“I do not need a spade to discover something.” Together they watch the worm slowly moving.
Then Puschel carefully steps back. Puschel“Its workshop stays closed.” Flauschi smiles. Even a tiny tunnel deserves respect.
What it looks like
An earthworm has a long body with many ringlike segments. It is an annelid, not an insect, and has no legs.
How it lives
Earthworms absorb oxygen through their moist skin. Leave them in damp soil rather than putting them in the sun.
Good to know
The common earthworm shown here pulls plant remains into its deep burrows. Earthworms mix soil and help break down dead material. Their tunnels loosen the soil.
Little Wusel quiz
Why do Puschel and Flauschi leave the earthworm in damp soil?
Show answer
It takes in oxygen through its moist skin. It could dry out in the sun.
Word help
- oxygen
- A gas that people and many other living things need. Oxygen occurs in air and can also dissolve in water.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
A legless body moves
Many segments form one worm. Muscles change body shape for movement; the rings are not separate animals.
Skin helps breathing
Oxygen enters through moist skin. Moisture is essential, and sun or dryness can endanger the worm.
Burrows change soil
The common earthworm featured here pulls plant remains into deep burrows, helping mix soil and make routes for air and water. It is an annelid, not a legless insect.
Why lengthening and shortening help crawling
Circular muscles can make a segment thinner and longer; lengthwise muscles make it shorter and thicker. Tiny bristles provide grip. Successive changes along the body allow movement. Bristles are tiny stiff projections, not legs. Observe a worm only where it appears naturally and leave it undisturbed.
References for this explanation: [1], [2]
Additional specialist reference: Universität Münster: Muskulatur des Regenwurms
Explore animal sounds
The university presents a recording of earthworms moving soil. These are faint movement sounds, not calls. Open the original recording with an adult; do not dig up worms for listening experiments.
Jeff Rice / Western Soundscape Archive: Earthworms airborne sounds · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US →