6 things you didn't know about earthworms

1. In the UK

We have 29 species of worm in the UK, and 31 including Ireland. A suburban garden is likely to hold about seven or eight different species.

2. Longest UK species

The largest earthworm in Britain is Lumbricus terrestris, which can grow to over 30cm long and is also known as ‘the night crawler’.

3. Longest species in the world

The longest known earthworm in the world, stretching to more than 2m, is the Australian Giant Gippsland earthworm Megascolides australis. Sadly, this giant is listed as a vulnerable species under the The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

4. Where to find them

Earthworms can be found in almost all areas of the globe and in all sorts of habitat: tropical rainforests, on mountains, in the branches of trees, and even in birds' nests. The exception is extreme deserts.

5. Worms can be shiny

Some Asian species, which can sometimes survive as small populations in UK greenhouses, have a beautiful blue green iridescence. These worms can also jump!

Microscolex phosphoreus, which can glow, is occasionally found here - often on golf courses, where it annoys the golfers by producing tiny casts.

Iridescence on Amynthas rodericensis © Debbie Fynn

6. Fried eggs and worms

The ‘fried egg worm’ in the Philippines is so named because it appears to have tiny fried eggs along its body.

The 'fried egg worm', Archipheretima middletoni © Sam James