Latest Worm Stories
A recent decline in ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), a ground-nesting migratory songbird, in forests in the northern Midwest United States is being linked by scientists to a seemingly unlikely culprit: earthworms.
Obstacles in an organism's path can help it to move faster, not slower, researchers from New York University's Applied Math Lab at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have found through a series of experiments and computer simulations.
Scientists have long seen evidence of social behavior among many species of animals, both on the earth and in the sea.
A tiny, freshwater flatworm found in ponds and rivers around the world that has long intrigued scientists for its remarkable ability to regenerate has now added a new wrinkle to biology.
The lowly and simple roundworm may be the ideal laboratory model to learn more about the complex processes involved in repairing wounds and could eventually allow scientists to improve the body's response to healing skin wounds, a serious problem in diabetics and the elderly.
University of Colorado researchers have found that worms were among the first animals to surface after an asteroid plowed into the Gulf of Mexico 65.5 million years ago.
A museum in London is seeking the public's advice in naming a new species of sea-dwelling worm.
Non-native earthworms are damaging hardwood forests.
It is widely acknowledged that human beings are largely responsible for the widespread alteration of ecosystems on the planet.
Mexican Golden Red Rump Tarantula (Brachypelma albiceps) is a species of the genus Brachypelma. The carapace is a light golden color with legs and a black abdomen covered with longer red hairs. Females typically live for about fifteen years. The males normally live about five years or up to twelve months after the last molt. This spider is native to the central highlands of Mexico, especially in Guerrero and south of Morelos. In the wild, they construct underground burrows, typically under...
The Sagalla caecilian (Boulengerula niedini) is a long, earthworm-like amphibian from the family Caeciliidae. The species is native to the tiny area of south-eastern Kenya called Sagalla Hill. The Sagalla caecilian has a slender body, perfect for burrowing. Its skin is extremely pigmented, lending it a brownish color with a pinkish-red hint, and white cross segments that give the appearance of grooves. They can grow up to 12 inches in length. Along with tough skin and a bony head, the...
The trumpet worm (Lagis koreni) is a species of polychaete worm that is classified within the Annelida phylum. It can be found in the waters around Europe including the North Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Adriatic Sea. This species is typically found submersed in sand in the neritic zone. The trumpet worm can reach an average length of about one inch and is typically light pink in color, with visible red veins and two pairs of red gills. This...
The nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris), also known as the lob worm or the common earthworm in Britain and the dew worm in Canada, is a species of earthworm that is classified within the Annelida phylum. It is native to Europe, but has been introduced into other areas around the world. Although the species is not as abundant as other worms in its range, it is a widely known species in gardens of temperate habitats, where it moves about on the surface of the soil. The nightcrawler can reach...
The Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is a species of polychaete worm, or bristle worm that is only found in the Pacific Ocean. It resides at hydrothermal vents, making it an extremophile, and was first discovered French marine biologists of the coat of the Galapagos Islands in the 1980s. It was described by Lucien Laubier and Daniel Desbruyeres as a deep-sea polychaete that could withstand extreme amounts of heat. The Pompeii worm can reach an average length of up to five inches and is...
- The deadly nightshade, Atropa Belladonna, which possesses stupefying or poisonous properties.
- A sleeping-potion; a soporific.
- To mutter deliriously.