OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaEarthworms are long, wiggly animals that live in the dirt. They are great helpers for plants and gardens! If you dig in a garden, you might find one.
Earthworms have soft, pink or brown bodies with no legs, eyes, or ears. They are covered in tiny bristles that help them grip the soil. Earthworms move by stretching and squeezing their soft bodies through the ground.
Earthworms eat dead leaves and turn them into food for plants. They munch on dirt and rotting plant parts as they dig through the soil. Everything an earthworm eats comes out as rich, healthy soil.
- Earthworms are great helpers because as they dig tunnels underground, they mix up the soil and make it healthier.
- Gardeners love earthworms because they help flowers and vegetables grow big and strong.
- If an earthworm loses part of its body, it can sometimes grow it back!
