Earthworms

Earthworms

Earthworms are annelids animals oligochaete class Haplotaxida order, distributed by wet soils around the world, some only centimeters and the other with one to two meters in length, in which cases are known as minhocuçus. Your body is made up of rings (body segments). They are also known to be various animal hearts in total are 8. Although not hearts "true", perform the same function.

They live underground (underground are animals), dig galleries and channels, seeking shelter and plant remains, their staple food, eaten with large amounts of land. They are thus, scavengers animals as feed on waste from various sources, comprising the humus. Earthworms constantly excrete earth, because of its simple digestive system.

Earthworms have a cylindrical, elongated body, mouth and anus, at opposite ends; and a lighter ring, clitelo, closer to the mouth.

Swiping your finger in its ventral region, from back to front, we feel that the animal skin is rough due to the presence of rows of microscopic bristles of chitin. The earthworms secure the ends of the bristles on the ground, facilitating its displacement, when contracting the strong musculature of the body wall.

Worm on a hook as a fishing bait
The earthworms The epidermis is covered by a thin cuticle chitin and produces very mucus, which makes viscous, reducing friction with the ground and facilitate the displacement. The mucus also protects the skin when in contact with toxic or harmful substances and ensures the necessary moisture to the exchange of respiratory gases across the surface of the body. This is called the skin respiration.

Earthworms are often used as bait (live) in trolling.

Unlike what some people think, the blind snake is not worm and has a very different classification.