Rain Worms crawling to the surface during rain have long attracted the attention of scientists.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to Live Science.
But the reasons for this behavior are not as obvious as they seem. Research has shown that the popular belief that worms save themselves from “drowning” in their burrows is incorrect. In fact, worms breathe through their skin and are able to absorb oxygen from both air and water, explains soil scientist Thea Whitman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Scientists have long proven that many species of earthworms can survive in fully saturated soil for several months as long as there is oxygen in the water. Research in 2008 showed that worms that require more oxygen are more likely to crawl to the surface during rain. On the contrary, species with a lower oxygen requirement prefer to remain underground.
Another hypothesis is that the vibrations from the rain remind the worms of the movement of a mole, their natural predator. However, ecologist Kevin Butt from the University of Central Lancashire considers this theory unlikely, since the movements of a mole do not have the rhythmicity characteristic of raindrops.
The most likely explanation, according to Butt, is that the wet surface during rain allows the worms to move faster. This is a more efficient way to move on the ground than slowly digging the soil.
Thus, the crawling of earthworms to the surface is associated not only with safety, but also with the optimization of movement in favorable conditions.
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