In roughly one day the white color begins to transition to the red that that they will have as adults. Red worm hatchlings are very tiny white colored worms when they emerge from their cocoons. Once the conditions do improve, the reproductive cycle is completed and the baby worms emerge completing the earthworm reproduction cycle. If conditions in nature or in your worm composting bin are not stable enough for baby worms to survive ( extreme temperatures, low moisture), hatching is delayed until conditions improve. Each cocoon usually hatches 2 to 4 baby red wiggler worms.Īmazingly, worm cocoons can hibernate.
The hatchlings inside the cocoon grow for a little over three months before they hatch. The red wiggler worm cocoon is small and lemon shaped. The cocoon then separates from the worms to develop. When the mucus ring gets to the end of the worm, the ends of the mucus ring seal themselves creating the cocoon which contains all the necessary reproductive material. When the worms begin to separate, the mucus rings slide off each worm collecting fertilized reproductive seminal fluids as it moves along the worms’ bodies. These mucus rings are the beginnings of the shell of the worm cocoon. The visual effect is that it makes the worms look like they are tied together with very fine fishing string. Next, the worms secrete mucus rings around both their bodies. During this hug, the worms swap reproductive seminal fluids. They line up their clitellum and then hold on to each other’s bodies with tiny hairs called setae. Earthworm reproduction starts with two mature worms giving each other a hug. How do Worms Make Babies?Įarthworm reproduction begins with the reproductive act, which lasts for around 3 hours. The clitellum is the earthworm’s reproductive organ. If you have ever played with large nightcrawler earthworms in your backyard, you know what I am talking about. Sexually mature worms can be identified by their clitellum, the thick band located near the worm’s head. This may sound strange to us humans but it makes increasing your population very easy because each worm has so many more potential partners. Any mature worm can reproduce with any other mature worm in the worm bin. This does not mean that worms can reproduce by themselves, they need to find another sexually mature worm to mate with. Instead, each worm has a complete set of reproductive anatomy, male and female organs. Which means that are neither male nor female. Reproductive Anatomy of an EarthwormĮarthworms are hermaphroditic. But, how do worms make babies? In this article, you will learn all about Earthworm Reproduction, including the reproductive anatomy of an earthworm and exactly how worms reproduce.
Composting worms have 3 jobs: eat, poop, and make babies.
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