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. The alternating action of these two sets of muscles allows worms to lengthen, contract, move, and twist through the soil. Each segment on a worm's body is rimmed with tiny bristles, called setae .