We spent hours in the garden again yesterday and found many lively worms. There were two notable moments:
John was holding a fat, squiggling worm when he commented to me, "It feels like an apple." Narrow-minded adult that I am, I almost burst out with a correction, "No, it does not feel like an apple." Thank goodness I bit my tongue and asked, "In what way does it feel like an apple?" He answered, correctly, "The worm is wet. Like an apple."
With a later hapless worm playmate, John suddenly shouted with glee that there were actually two worms! "I thought it was just one worm, but then I realized it was two worms stuck together! And now they are apart!"
Actually, there had been only one worm.
When I was digging worms out of my compost pile for the new garden, I cut many with the shovel (there was no way to avoid it). I told David I thought I had learned that the two separate parts could both become new worms but he didn't believe me so I did some research. I learned that a worm can lose and regenerate its first five or so segments and its last thirty or so segments. So, you can't cut a worm in half and get two new worms (sorry, John!) but the one with the bulk of the body can still live!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I came upon a neat little website when I did that research, and I was able to find it again: Herman's Fun Place
ReplyDeleteEWWWW! ;)
ReplyDeleteFrances: Thanks for that neat website! I also grew up hearing from my mom that a worm could survive when cut in half, so I guess that is "halfway" true (hardey har har!).
ReplyDeleteElaine: I was so happy John was willing to touch a wet worm! Geez, I'd be happy if he were willing to touch a wet apple! He used to refuse to touch worms, but I've been gently encouraging him and now he does it right away. I have a fondness for worms, but not other bugs. Spiders in my path had better watch out.
ReplyDelete