Earthworm Love Is Cuddly ... and Complicated | Deep Look

Summary

Earthworms, with their unique anatomy featuring multiple hearts, seek love in a complex courtship. As they mature, they develop a clitellum, indicating readiness for reproduction. These hermaphroditic creatures use their sense of taste and smell to find a mate, engaging in a lengthy embrace where they exchange sperm. Their lovemaking is not without its perils, as they use their setae to wound each other, ensuring exclusivity. After parting, each worm creates a cocoon, nurturing the next generation of earthworms with the potential for future romance.

Takeaways

• ❤️ Earthworms are built for romance, equipped with four or five pairs of hearts.
• 🔍 Finding a mate is challenging for these mostly solitary creatures.
• 🌱 Mature earthworms have a fleshy, saddle-shaped patch called a clitellum, indicating readiness for mating.
• 👃🏼 Earthworms use taste and smell to navigate and find a mate through soil or leaf litter.
• 🐛 They move by anchoring their bodies with bristles called setae and use muscles to push forward.
• 🍽️ Earthworms feed on bacteria and tiny fungi in the soil and leaves.
• 🌈 All earthworms are hermaphrodites, having both male and female reproductive organs.
• 💞 During mating, earthworms embrace side by side, exchanging sperm through their bodies.
• 🗡️ Mating involves a dark side where earthworms stab each other with their setae, temporarily preventing further mating.
• 💫 After mating, each earthworm produces a cocoon that eventually hatches into baby worms with beating hearts.
• 📢 Deep Look is engaging with their audience by launching a newsletter and seeking input on its content.

Q & A

How many pairs of hearts do earthworms typically have?

Earthworms typically have four or five pairs of hearts.

What is the purpose of the clitellum in earthworms?

The clitellum is a fleshy, saddle-shaped patch that indicates the earthworm's maturity and readiness for reproduction.

How do earthworms navigate to find a mate?

Earthworms follow tastes and smells through dirt or leaf litter to locate their mates.

What are the bristles on earthworms called, and what is their function?

The bristles on earthworms are called setae, which they use to anchor their bodies and aid in movement.

What do earthworms consume to fuel their bodies?

Earthworms consume bacteria and tiny fungi found in the soil and leaves.

Are earthworms male, female, or both?

Earthworms are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs.

How do earthworms exchange sperm during mating?

Earthworms exchange sperm by embracing side by side, with their bodies pointing in opposite directions and using their clitellar flaps.

What is the significance of the setae stabbing during earthworm mating?

The stabbing with setae during mating creates wounds that temporarily prevent the earthworms from mating again, possibly reducing competition for mates.

How does an earthworm produce offspring?

After mating, each earthworm produces a sheath with its clitellum, which it moves over its body to gather eggs and sperm, forming a cocoon where baby worms develop.

What happens inside the cocoon after it is formed?

Inside the cocoon, baby worms grow and develop, eventually maturing to have beating hearts that they will one day give to their special someone.

What is Deep Look's plan regarding their audience engagement?

Deep Look is planning to launch a newsletter and wants their audience, referred to as Deep Peeps, to decide what content to include by taking a survey.