Thursday, October 1, 2009

Earthworms


Earthworms might make teachers squirm, but there is no doubt that young children are facinated at these crawly creatures. Earthworms are interesting and easy to study, because you can ususally access them right in your outside play area.
Earthworm Facts:
  • There are 2,700 different species of earthworms
  • Earthworms can be from 1-2 inches up to 14 inches long
  • Earthworm bodies are made up of ring-like sections
  • Earthworms are invertebrates, meaning they do not have an internal skeleton made of bone
  • Earthworms form the base of many food chains. They are preyed upon by many species of birds, e.g. starlings, thrushes, gulls, crows, and robins. Some snakes feed on them and mammals such as bears, foxes, hedgehogs and moles eat many earthworms as well. Earthworms are also eaten by many invertebrates such as ground beetles and other beetles, snails.

Earthworm Resources:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Earthworms
Earth worm facts and photographs.


The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Gardening and Composting with Worms by Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor, 2004


The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart, 2004
Earthworms (Minibeasts) by Claire Llewellyn and Barrie Watts, 2002

http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/how-to-raise-earthworms

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