AnimalTracks.wiki

What the sources say

Common EarthwormLumbricus terrestris

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Common Earthworm profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 40 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Misirlioğlu, Tsekova & Stojanović 2016

Misirlioğlu, Tsekova & Stojanović (2016). On the presence of Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus 1758 (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) on the Balkan Peninsula: some aspects of ecology and distribution. Turkish Journal of Zoology.

The page saysA hermaphrodite that lives in deep vertical burrows and generally leaves them only to feed and mate.
The source sayslives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m and generally only emerges to feed on surface litter ... simultaneous hermaphrodite ... It leaves its burrow to copulate on the soil surfaceNote: tagline; hermaphrodite and mating have their own claims
The page sayslives in deep vertical burrows
The source sayslives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m
The page saysgenerally leaves them only to feed and mate
The source saysgenerally only emerges to feed on surface litter ... It leaves its burrow to copulate on the soil surfaceNote: tagline
The page saysDeep vertical burrows in soil
The source sayslives in deep vertical burrows of 2 mNote: stats.habitat
The page saysthought to be native to West Europe, now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates
The source saysthought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climatesNote: stats.habitat
The page saysGenerally feeds on surface litter, preferring fresh litter to accumulated organic matter
The source saysgenerally only emerges to feed on surface litter ... When feeding, this earthworm prefers fresh litter rather than accumulated organic matter in the upper soil horizonNote: stats.diet
The page saysA common earthworm typically measures 8 to 15 cm long, and occasionally up to 35 cm.
The source saystypically ranges from 8 to 15 cm in length (occasionally up to 35 cm)
The page saysIt grows rapidly for approximately 3 years and reaches an average weight of approximately 9.5–11 g in culture and 5–6.25 g in field populations.
The source saysgrows rapidly for approximately 3 years, with short seasonal pauses in midsummer and midwinter, and reaches an average weight of approximately 9.5–11 g in culture and 5–6.25 g in field populations
The page saysAfter 3 years, the average weight begins to decrease.
The source saysAfter 3 years, the average weight of the earthworms begins to decrease.
The page saysIts lifespan is approximately 5–9 years in culture and probably less in the field.
The source saysThe lifespan of L. terrestris is approximately 5–9 years in culture (Satchell, 1967; Lakhani and Satchell, 1970; Edwards and Bohlen, 1996) and probably less in the field.
The page saysNot many earthworms survive 7 years in the field.
The source saysnot many earthworms survive 7 years in the field
The page saysThis worm is anecic, meaning it lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m.
The source saysThe earthworm L. terrestris is an anecic species, meaning that it lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m
The page saysIt generally only emerges to feed on surface litter.
The source saysgenerally only emerges to feed on surface litter
The page saysIt is not frost-tolerant, which indicates that it hibernates in deep soil layers during the winter.
The source saysL. terrestris is not frost-tolerant, indicating that it hibernates in deep soil layers during the winter
The page saysA worm can move 4–19 m in a single night, but this movement is random.
The source saysThis species is capable of moving 4–19 m in a single night (Mather and Christensen, 1988) but this is a random movement
The page saysEach worm is a simultaneous hermaphrodite and mates reciprocally, with two worms mutually exchanging sperm.
The source saysL. terrestris is a reciprocally mating simultaneous hermaphrodite, which reproduces sexually with individuals mutually exchanging sperm
The page saysIt leaves its burrow to mate on the soil surface.
The source saysIt leaves its burrow to copulate on the soil surface
The page saysBecause each worm is a hermaphrodite, only two are needed to found a population.
The source saysbeing a hermaphrodite, only two individuals are needed in a founding populationNote: 'Because' renders the source's own 'being a hermaphrodite, only two individuals are needed'.
The page saysSelf-propelled spread is slow at 6.3 m/year or about 6 km/1000 years.
The source saysSelfpropelled spread is slow at 6.3 m/year or about 6 km/1000 years
The page saysMost of the invasion can be attributed to human activity.
The source saysMost of the invasion can be attributed to human activity
The page saysThe species is thought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates.
The source saysthought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates
The page saysIt usually becomes able to reproduce within 1 year, though how long this takes is strongly influenced by environmental factors.
The source saysSexual reproductivity is usually reached within 1 year (Evans and Guild, 1948; Wilcke, 1952; Satchell, 1967), but the duration of the prereproductive phase is strongly influenced by environmental factors
The page saysAdult and immature worms can be told apart by the clitellum that develops at that point.
The source saysAdult and immature earthworms can be distinguished by the development of a clitellum when reaching sexual reproductivity.
The page saysWhen feeding, it prefers fresh litter to organic matter that has built up in the upper soil horizon.
The source saysWhen feeding, this earthworm prefers fresh litter rather than accumulated organic matter in the upper soil horizon
The page saysAnecic worms like this one are associated with mixing soil horizons, the layers of soil, in the areas they invade.
The source saysanecic species such as L. terrestris are associated with the mixing of soil horizons in the areas that they invade
The page saysOnce it is present in an environment, its activities can radically alter the way litter on the forest floor decomposes.
The source saysOnce present in an environment, its activities can radically alter forest floor litter decomposition regimes
The page saysweightKg: 0.006
The source says5–6.25 g in field populationsNote: field figure, not the culture one

Source
02

Seymour 1969

Seymour (1969). Locomotion and Coelomic Pressure in Lumbricus Terrestris L. Journal of Experimental Biology.

The page saysCrawls in waves, lengthening and shortening its body segments
The source saysFrequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min ... elongation of segments by contraction of the circular muscles ... shortening, by contraction of the longitudinal musclesNote: stats.superpower
The page saysIt moves in waves.
The source saysFrequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min.
The page saysIn normal movement, a segment gets longer when its circular muscles contract and shorter when its longitudinal muscles contract.
The source saysIn normal locomotion elongation of segments by contraction of the circular muscles gives rise to a discrete pressure pulse; shortening, by contraction of the longitudinal muscles
The page saysThe waves come at 5 to 20 a minute.
The source saysFrequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min.
The page saysResearchers have also recorded when its setae, which are bristles, poke out as it moves.
The source saysTiming of protrusion of setae and of backward slip of points d’appui in locomotion have been observed and recorded.
The page saysPressure recordings from crawling and burrowing worms point to the importance of the circular muscles in extending the head end and in the first push into soil.
The source saysConsideration of crawling and burrowing pressure records emphasizes the importance of (a) the circular muscles in extension of the head end in crawling and in initial penetration of the soil
The page saysa segment gets longer when its circular muscles contract and shorter when its longitudinal muscles contract
The source saysIn normal locomotion elongation of segments by contraction of the circular muscles gives rise to a discrete pressure pulse; shortening, by contraction of the longitudinal musclesNote: vibe.reason
The page saysat 5 to 20 waves a minute
The source saysFrequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min.Note: vibe.reason

Source
03

Quillin 1999

Quillin (1999). Kinematic scaling of locomotion by hydrostatic animals: ontogeny of peristaltic crawling by the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Journal of Experimental Biology.

The page saysis a soft-bodied animal supported by a hydrostatic skeleton
The source saysa soft-bodied organism supported by a hydrostatic skeleton
The page sayswhich means it moves mainly by changing the shape of its soft segments, not by bending rigid parts at joints
The source saysWhereas the motions of most vertebrates and arthropods are based primarily on the changes in the joint angles between rigid body segments, the motions of soft-bodied organisms with hydrostatic skeletons are based primarily on the changes in dimensions of the deformable body segments themselvesNote: Plain-words definition of a hydrostatic skeleton: Quillin contrasts joint angles between rigid body segments with changes in dimensions of deformable segments; 'means' restates that contrast, adds no cause.

Source
04

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysLumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 - nightcrawler, dew wormNote: stats.conservationStatus. Anchors the species name only; the body makes no status claim. No Red List assessment exists for Lumbricus terrestris: GBIF's copy of the Red List has no category for the name and Crossref has no assessment DOI, so no IUCN reference is cited (an API endpoint can't be cited).
The page saysIn English it is called the nightcrawler or the dew worm.
The source saysSpecies Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 - nightcrawler, dew worm
The page saysNo. ITIS lists Lumbricus terrestris, called nightcrawler or dew worm in English, as introduced in the continental United States and in Canada.
The source saysContinental US, Introduced Canada, Introduced

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.