It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures. Earthworms move soil particles up to 40 times their weight as they burrow through the ground. This movement loosens, mixes, and conditions the soil. The tunnels that earthworms leave behind let air and water, needed by plants and animals, into the ground. Like all other living things, earthworms are part of different food chains.
Earthworms eat organic matter, such as leaves, grass, or decaying animals.
In turn, earthworms are eaten by birds, moles, turtles, snakes, and other animals. People use worms to catch fish to eat. A birds-eye view Earthworms are made up of rings, called segments . These segments circle the width of the worm's body and make up the entire length of the earthworm. Each segment is surrounded by one set of muscles, and connected to adjoining segments by a different set of muscles.