Earthworms, also called lumbricus, are terrestrial invertebrates. Earthworms dig holes to loosen the soil, which can decompose organic matter and is a good helper to deal with domestic garbage and organic waste. It feeds on animal manure, straw and city food waste, and plays an important role in improving soil environmental quality, maintaining soil ecosystem and biodiversity. It is called "ecosystem engineer" and "biological cultivator".
Earthworms exist in most ecosystems in the world, but the ocean is the natural barrier of earthworms, and it is also rare in desert areas and all-year-round ice and snow areas. Because earthworms breathe through the skin, their bodies must be kept moist, so there are fewer earthworms in desert areas and ice and snow areas, and their own water accounts for more than 75% of their body weight.
Living habits of earthworms
Earthworms like dark, humid and quiet environment, mostly concentrated in the surface soil within 20cm depth. Earthworms are saprophagous animals, which mainly feed on dried grass, vegetable scraps, rotten leaves, melon and fruit skins, crop straws, livestock manure, waste residue from paper mills, breweries or flour mills, and domestic garbage in residential areas, especially sweet and sour foods.
The active temperature range of earthworm is 5-30℃, and the suitable temperature is 20-27℃ (which is also the suitable temperature for earthworm cocoon hatching). When the temperature is 0-5℃, it enters a dormant state, and dies when the temperature is lower than 0℃; When the temperature is higher than 32℃, growth stops, and when the temperature is higher than 40℃, it will die.