---
title: "What the sources say about the Common Earthworm | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "40 claims from the Common Earthworm profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*)

> 40 claims from the Common Earthworm profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Common Earthworm](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/common-earthworm/)

## 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.

https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1509-12

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A hermaphrodite that lives in deep vertical burrows and generally leaves them only to feed and mate. | lives 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 surface (note: tagline; hermaphrodite and mating have their own claims) |
| lives in deep vertical burrows | lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m |
| generally leaves them only to feed and mate | generally only emerges to feed on surface litter ... It leaves its burrow to copulate on the soil surface (note: tagline) |
| Deep vertical burrows in soil | lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m (note: stats.habitat) |
| thought to be native to West Europe, now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates | thought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates (note: stats.habitat) |
| Generally feeds on surface litter, preferring fresh litter to accumulated organic matter | generally only emerges to feed on surface litter ... When feeding, this earthworm prefers fresh litter rather than accumulated organic matter in the upper soil horizon (note: stats.diet) |
| A common earthworm typically measures 8 to 15 cm long, and occasionally up to 35 cm. | typically ranges from 8 to 15 cm in length (occasionally up to 35 cm) |
| It 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. | grows 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 |
| After 3 years, the average weight begins to decrease. | After 3 years, the average weight of the earthworms begins to decrease. |
| Its lifespan is approximately 5–9 years in culture and probably less in the field. | The 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. |
| Not many earthworms survive 7 years in the field. | not many earthworms survive 7 years in the field |
| This worm is anecic, meaning it lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m. | The earthworm L. terrestris is an anecic species, meaning that it lives in deep vertical burrows of 2 m |
| It generally only emerges to feed on surface litter. | generally only emerges to feed on surface litter |
| It is not frost-tolerant, which indicates that it hibernates in deep soil layers during the winter. | L. terrestris is not frost-tolerant, indicating that it hibernates in deep soil layers during the winter |
| A worm can move 4–19 m in a single night, but this movement is random. | This species is capable of moving 4–19 m in a single night (Mather and Christensen, 1988) but this is a random movement |
| Each worm is a simultaneous hermaphrodite and mates reciprocally, with two worms mutually exchanging sperm. | L. terrestris is a reciprocally mating simultaneous hermaphrodite, which reproduces sexually with individuals mutually exchanging sperm |
| It leaves its burrow to mate on the soil surface. | It leaves its burrow to copulate on the soil surface |
| Because each worm is a hermaphrodite, only two are needed to found a population. | being a hermaphrodite, only two individuals are needed in a founding population (note: 'Because' renders the source's own 'being a hermaphrodite, only two individuals are needed'.) |
| Self-propelled spread is slow at 6.3 m/year or about 6 km/1000 years. | Selfpropelled spread is slow at 6.3 m/year or about 6 km/1000 years |
| Most of the invasion can be attributed to human activity. | Most of the invasion can be attributed to human activity |
| The species is thought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates. | thought to be native to West Europe, but it is now globally distributed in temperate to mild boreal climates |
| It usually becomes able to reproduce within 1 year, though how long this takes is strongly influenced by environmental factors. | Sexual 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 |
| Adult and immature worms can be told apart by the clitellum that develops at that point. | Adult and immature earthworms can be distinguished by the development of a clitellum when reaching sexual reproductivity. |
| When feeding, it prefers fresh litter to organic matter that has built up in the upper soil horizon. | When feeding, this earthworm prefers fresh litter rather than accumulated organic matter in the upper soil horizon |
| Anecic worms like this one are associated with mixing soil horizons, the layers of soil, in the areas they invade. | anecic species such as L. terrestris are associated with the mixing of soil horizons in the areas that they invade |
| Once it is present in an environment, its activities can radically alter the way litter on the forest floor decomposes. | Once present in an environment, its activities can radically alter forest floor litter decomposition regimes |
| weightKg: 0.006 | 5–6.25 g in field populations (note: field figure, not the culture one) |

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

https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.51.1.47

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Crawls in waves, lengthening and shortening its body segments | Frequency 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 muscles (note: stats.superpower) |
| It moves in waves. | Frequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min. |
| In normal movement, a segment gets longer when its circular muscles contract and shorter when its longitudinal muscles contract. | In 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 waves come at 5 to 20 a minute. | Frequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min. |
| Researchers have also recorded when its setae, which are bristles, poke out as it moves. | Timing of protrusion of setae and of backward slip of points d’appui in locomotion have been observed and recorded. |
| Pressure 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. | Consideration 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 |
| a segment gets longer when its circular muscles contract and shorter when its longitudinal muscles contract | In 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 (note: vibe.reason) |
| at 5 to 20 waves a minute | Frequency of locomotory waves is from 5 to 20 per min. (note: vibe.reason) |

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

https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.202.6.661

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| is a soft-bodied animal supported by a hydrostatic skeleton | a soft-bodied organism supported by a hydrostatic skeleton |
| which means it moves mainly by changing the shape of its soft segments, not by bending rigid parts at joints | Whereas 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 themselves (note: 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.) |

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

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=977384

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Not Evaluated | Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 - nightcrawler, dew worm (note: 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).) |
| In English it is called the nightcrawler or the dew worm. | Species Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 - nightcrawler, dew worm |
| No. ITIS lists Lumbricus terrestris, called nightcrawler or dew worm in English, as introduced in the continental United States and in Canada. | Continental US, Introduced Canada, Introduced |