Who eats earthworms: 14 animal lovers
Earthworms are one of the most defenseless animals. They have absolutely no organs or abilities that could somehow protect them from natural enemies. But there are a lot of animals who want to eat nutritious worms.
Content
Who eats earthworms
Earthworms have a huge number of natural enemies. They are a source of protein for a wide variety of animal species, ranging from large mammals to small insects.
Small insectivores and rodents
Since worms are inhabitants of the underworld, small mammals living in holes are their main enemies. Earthworms are included in the diet of the following underground animals:
The latter are the most dangerous for earthworms. This is due to the fact that moles are able to emit a special musky smell that lures the worms directly into a trap to the beast.
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- Vole mouse.
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- Shrew.
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- Rat.
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- East American mole.
Frogs and toads
Since earthworms prefer moist soil, they often live near various bodies of water. In such places, they are often hunted by different types of amphibians.
Toads and frogs usually prey on earthworms that come to the surface at night to mate.
They lie in wait for them at the exit from the hole and attack as soon as the head of the worm appears.
Birds
Birds also destroy a significant part of the earthworm population.
Flycatcher.
They are included in the diet all kinds of birds. Cuckoos, sparrows, domestic chickens, and many other species of birds feed on worms.
In addition to adult earthworms, cocoons with eggs often become victims of feathered enemies. Most of all they suffer from bird attacks after cultivating the soil with plows, when many worms and their cocoons are on the surface.
Predatory insects
Periodically, worms can become prey for certain types of predatory insects. Since they are not able to defend themselves, they may well be attacked by such miniature predators as:
- dragonflies;
- This;
- centipedes;
- some types of beetles.
large mammals
In addition to small animals, rather large representatives of mammals also like to eat earthworms, for example:
- wild boars;
- badgers;
- pigs.
Conclusion
Earthworms are a readily available source of nutrients and therefore are often included in the diet of a wide variety of animal species. These include predatory insects, amphibians, birds, rodents, and even various types of mammals. With so many natural enemies, the population of earthworms is saved from extinction only by their secretive lifestyle and high reproduction rates.
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