From year to year after the rain, we can constantly observe the appearance on the soil surface of many hundreds of rainworms. Many of us such a fact may cause squeamishness, other indifference. However, few people think about why the worms crawl after the rain?

Causes of the appearance of worms

The scientific explanation of this fact still does not exist, there are only assumptions. We give several versions.

  1. Change soil temperature. Worms are very sensitive to this. The temperature of the soil during the rain falls at once a few degrees. After all, deep underground, where these creatures live, prevailing enough comfortable and warm temperatures for their livelihoods.
  2. The change in the acid-alkaline balance is the second cause. The soil after falling out of precipitation becomes more acidic. This fact encourages them to be shown on the surface to avoid mass death. In addition, during the rain in some soils, cadmium concentration is observed. This can also have an impact on the behavior of rainworms.
  3. Phenotypic variability of nature, that is, impermanence. There are such individuals of this type of worms that may die, being in the water for a long time.
  4. The next reason why raindling worms crawl is the lack of air, and the water enriches them the upper soil layer.
  5. Another of the versions of such behavior of animals may be the "Style Instinct", when the worms appear on the surface, following their relatives.
  6. But still, the simplest reason is to the worms to moisture, why they were called rain. Zoologists believe that they appear on the ground surface to enjoy water. Such behavior in rainy weather is characteristic of other animals, for example for isopods.

True, the rainworms like rain?

No, it is not. Indeed, during the rain, the worms crawl out of the ground, but of course it is not at all because they love him. Rain water displaces air from emptiness in the soil. As a result, due to the lack of oxygen, the worms crawl out. And the stronger it rains on the street, the more rainworms you can see climbing on the surface of the Earth.

And hence the answer to another popular question - can the rain worm can live in water. No, he can not. Rainhever, as a man and all animals for breathing need oxygenOnly fish can live in water and some mammals adapted to long-finding under water, such as dolphins or sharks. Amphibians - in common frogs, are allocated here in a separate shape, they are born in the water, they are then losing the gills, and with them and the ability to live only in water, although the partial ability to breathe under the water of the skin they remain.


Yes, this is true, but why it becomes clear if carefully examine the composition of ash.

The main components in the ashes three, it is phosphorus, potassium and calcium. The first two fertilizers are very useful, and the last - calcium this element in the commoner we call lime. And its asset can be up to 80%, on average 27-30%. As you probably remember from school, and many of your own practices our body when contacting lime gets burns. We will not go into the essence of chemical reactions, just imagine, the surface of the body of the rainworm is approximately similar to the sensitivity of the surface of our intestines, imagine what will be with a worm, if he falls into the ash - where to love it, to stay alive.

Why rainworms crawl out during rains

Rain Cerves play an important role in our environment. They turn large pieces of substances in substances that can make the soil fertile. They perform this important function, pushing the substances deep into the soil. Earth worms after rains are often noticeable on the ground surface. They crawl and bend their body as if enjoying the water. Many scientists believe that several factors affect such behavior of worms after the rain. These include: Temperature, pH balance, as well as their natural instinct.

1. The first possible reason why excavation worms crawl after the rain is a change in the temperature of the soil that they feel when it rains. Most rainwoods live deep underground, due to warm temperature under the soil layers.

2. The second possible reason why the raindrops crawl out after the rain are due to the change in the level of the soil pH. Other experts also believe that some soil types during rain tend to obtain a higher concentration of cadmium.

3. The third probable answer to the question why the raindrops crawl out after the rain are inconstancy, phenotypic in nature. Perhaps there are some worms that cannot be immersed in water for a long time.

4. The fourth reason why rainworms crawl out after the rain are the fact that some worms need little air. Water Satisfies the surface of the Earth with a large amount of oxygen. However, P. Corethrurus is a worm that is not sinking in water if it does not crawl during the rain.

5. The fifth reason why the rainwrites crawl out after the rain are due to their natural behavior. Perhaps they crawl out after the rain because most of them do this, and not because they need more or less oxygen.

6. Another possible reason for which the rainy ceres crawl out after the rain is because they love moisture. The worms like climbing the surface to enjoy moisture on the ground. The isopods in the rainy time, which rise and climb on plants or trees also behave.

Many of us have seen how the rain worms massively crawl into the surface of the earth during the rain, but few know why they do it. However, scientists have a lot of interesting hypotheses on this. Some believe that worms kicked up on the surface of traction to travel, and others - that the cause of such behavior is the fear of mole. There are those who consider both these hypothesis fair.

There are many traditional explanations of this behavior of rainwrites (follow-up Lumbricina.), but they are all very and very dubious. People, far from zoology, believe that the worms are chosen during the rain on the surface because they love water very much and try to take advantage of the situation in order to increase the humidity inside their body. However, this version is very far from reality - after all, the humidity in the very soil after the start of the shower is growing enough and the worm is enough to simply migrate from the lower layer in the "grocery" top. But to crawl on the surface where it can become a light prey of predators (which and in bad weather will not be dreamed), there is absolutely no need for this being.

Biologists explain this phenomenon as follows - during the rain penetrating water into the soil flooding tunnels, on which the rainworms move, that is, these animals are not fleeing to water, and from it - they are just afraid to drown, until recently, this hypothesis was considered the closest To the truth, although there was one weak place in it. The fact is that, according to physiologists, water for worms is not as terrible as we think.

Let's start with the fact that these creatures generally feel more comfortable in conditions of high humidity, since they breathe through the surface of the body, and the more dumping around, the better oxygen goes into their body. In addition, experiments have shown that the rainworms can generally live a few days in a jar with water and feel at the same time not worse than in the soil (it is interesting that almost every fisherman knows about it). Thus, they calmly wait for the rain even in fully flooded "apartments" and not expose their lives of danger, crawling on the surface.

However, why do worms do it all? Zoologist Christopher Lowe from the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom) believes that they enjoy the rain in order to make long journeys. He considered how many energy spend these creatures, speaking a distance of one meter long on the surface of the Earth and in the soil, it turned out that it was more profitable in the ground, the energy went five times smaller than when the worm was silent between soil lumps. Well, and since the rainy worms do not like dry air, they prefer to settle with crude weather.

However, Professor Joseph Gorris from Vermont University (USA) disagree with the conclusions of his colleague. In his opinion, such a behavior of worms are forced, but they make them to crawl into the surface, and ... fear of crumbs! Zoologist believes that the noise of rain is perceived by the approach of the underground predator, which is their enemy (contrary to what they write about the mole in fairy tales, this animal is not a vegetarian, but an exceptional meatseed, and it is worms that are the basis of his diet).

Using the newest acoustic equipment, the professor found out that drops falling on the surface of the Earth, and the mole moving underground produce very similar vibrations. It is possible that it is precisely this similarity and deceiving a worm, which is not able to determine where the sound source is located (its auditory apparatus, alas, imperfect). As a result, the animal is frightened and rushes up - although there is also dangerous there, however, the fear of the mole is stronger.

In order to test his assumption, Professor Gorris and his colleagues held one experiment, which again is known to all fans of fishing. They stuck in a completely dry ground with a stick, and an iron leaf was put on her vertex and began to shake it. The leaf immediately began to vibrate (and, according to the instrument testimony, this vibration was similar to the one that causes the decline in the earth of the rain droplets), and the oscillations were passed through the stem. And what do you think - literally a couple of minutes after the start of the experiment, worms were climbed out of the ground, although there was no rain and in misery!

So, it is quite possible that the rainwood drives to the surface of the earth precisely the crotophobia. However, some zoologists believe that, perhaps, Dr. Low, and Professor Gorris. It is possible that initially worms crawl due to fear of clocks, and after, silent in a situation, make a decision to move into safer places. It is also possible that social and even marriage communications occur in the surfaces formed on the surface of the Earth - partners find each other and mating (since the rainworms are hermaphroditis, then there are no cavaliers and ladies among them, animals simply exchange sperm with each other) .

This article presents the most common and proven hypotheses. Expert opinions and their assumptions are given. The article has interesting facts. The article is trying to give an objective answer to the question. Rain or as they are also called earthworms call worms that live in the ground. Their name is determined by the fact that they strive to the surface after the rains. Their length is an average of three to fifteen centimeters. But it also happens to forty centimeters. And it happens the length of the worms and more (up to two meters). There are more than a thousand species of all sorts of worms. Basically, worms live in the tropics. Worms are powered by organic residues that decompose.

Each childhood has noticed the fact that after the worms crawl. It happens and always happened. The fact will chase many. What is the reason for this behavior? Many people are asked by these questions, as well as professional scientists and investigators of the phenomena. The reasons for such behavior are not known. And the fact still takes place.

Causes of crawling to surface

Rain worms crawling on the surface is an already familiar picture for people from childhood. This is especially happening after the recently severe rain. There are a variety of opinions and guesses. Probably, worms are worried about their well-being. Each inquisitive or adult breaks his head. At school, the biology course does not always cover all questions. And the school teacher of biology can not always answer the question of students and explain the principle of behavior of the worms.

As such, one unequivocal scientific response is still not. Earlier it was believed that the worms crawl due to what could drown in water. Then this hypothesis was refuted, since the worms breathe through the skin. According to experts, worms are able to exist in a certain time in (up to several days). But there are a number of assumptions that are put forward by scientists from time to time. Here are some of these hypotheses:

First assumption It is that the soil temperature changes. Worms feel it strong. During the rain, the temperature changes a few degrees. At the depths of the Earth, where the worms dwell the temperature is comfortable for their existence.

Second assumption It consists in changing the acid-alkaline balance. After falling out the precipitation of the soil becomes acid. It makes worms to get out of the surface not to die in changing conditions. It may also affect the concentration of cadmium.

Third assumption in changes in weather conditions. There are so worms that cannot exist in water and die respectively.

Fourth assumption It consists in a lack of oxygen.

There is another moment that is interested in observers. Why are worms chosen on asphalt? This is a pedestrian walkway or something else solid. Chervi tend to something hard, because there is less moisture there. Asphalt or concrete, of which the tracks do less wet. If you look after the rain, then you can see how the worms are moved from the ground to the asphalt.


 Which countries are involved in the study and achieved success.
Above lists the main hypotheses that are put forward by specialists from different countries. There are some more reflections. It may be the so-called old instinct. Zoologists have different points of view on this issue. There are different approaches to the study.

Basic success has achieved in the field of research English and scientists from zoologists. Different specialists adhere to different methods of studying and scientific approaches. These specialists adhere to the opinions about the fact that the worms need oxygen. And from time to time, using the case is chosen.

Everyone knows that the worm breathes through the skin. The gills of the worm are available, but they are not so developed. Cleans for worms usually about eighty centimeters. Large individuals can reach several meters. When the rain water falls into Nora, the worm is choking and crawling down, and up (trying to escape and not die).

On the surface, those who were able to get out of the puddles remain alive, and the rest (who could not) - they simply die. Since oxygen is better absorbed through the skin surface in these conditions. There is also an opinion that the worms take rain noise for the approach of the crot. Mole is the most important enemy for worms, which represents the danger to them. Rain drops that fall remind the sounds of approaching this predator. This creates an atmosphere of a certain danger for worms. They try to escape, as they can.

There are many opinions and reasoning here. All everyday ideas are developing historically and are transmitted from generation to generation. Some even argue on this topic. Someone believes that the worms want more moisture (). In the ground, in which the worms of the moisture do not delay. And the moisture asphalt does not absorb.

This explains the desire of worms. After heavy rain, you can see the movement of worms. Some of them die under the wheels of the car or under the legs of passersby. Probably in this version there is some meaning. But someone says that moisture they must have enough full (because in the winter there are rain and in the mid-season). The phenomenon takes place especially after heavy rain.

Why do worms crawl into the surface? The people give their answer. Folk sign, many nations say that this happens before the rain. Especially this opinion adheres to villagers who are accustomed to watch out nature. And they can be believed exactly. We can say that there is no unambiguous explanation of the phenomenon. There are opinions. Some of them give more understanding, while others are less. At the same time, the research of specialists continue and may be found to be found. And everyone will learn why the worms crawl into the surface.