FULL WORM MOON March 28, 2021

 

Illustration courtesy of The Old Farmers Almanac

The March 28 full moon is the WORM Moon. The Worm Moon is considered the last full moon of winter and is named after earthworm casts that appear as the ground thaws, NASA reported. It also signifies the time of year when earthworms and grubs come out of dormancy.

Here's some worm trivia from the University of Illinois Extension

* There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms.

One of these is an aggressive Asian earthworm is negatively impacting our gardens and ecosystem. They are JUMPING WORMS. Find out how to recognize this invasive species and help limit its spread at this Penn State link.  

* A worm has no arms, legs or eyes. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour).

* Baby worms are not born. They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice.

* If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die.

* Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs.

* Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum.

* Worms can eat their weight each day.

* In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.

* The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds.

Photo courtesy abc.net.au

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