The Fascinating World of Worms...

QUEEN CLEOPATRA of Egypt declared them sacred. Aristotle called them the intestine of the earth. Charles Darwin felt that they played an important part in the history of the world. What animal earned the admiration of such famous people? The humble earthworm.
Worms deserve to be admired. True, they are slimy and they wriggle. But even these qualities, which we might consider unattractive, can inspire a sense of awe once you get to know the worm a little better. All you need to do is bend down and upturn a clod of leaf litter, and you have entered the fascinating world of worms.
Take a closer look at an earthworm, and you notice that its body is constructed of ringed segments that look like a row of miniature dough nuts bunched tightly together. Each segment is powered by two groups of muscles. One group, just below the skin, forms a ring around the worm. Beneath this layer, this second group stretches along the worm. The worm moves by expanding and contracting these opposing muscle groups, flexing segment in a rhythmic pulse that ripples down the body.
If you place an earthworm in your hand, no doubt it will writhe and wriggle. The worm reacts this way because its body is bristling with sense organs - as many as 1,900 on just one segment.
While worms may never become the most popular animals in the world, the world would certainly be a different place without them. So the next time you admire a tranquil country scene, spare a thought for the army of earthworms that are beneath your feet, busily plowing, fertilizing, and maintaining that beautiful view