Okay, what's this all about? What we got here is a couple of earth worms partin' ways.
With the light behind them you can see their guts.
After I planted a tomato, they wanted out of the planter. Over the side they go. Stretch, stretch, s-t-r-e-t-c-h, plop. On the ground and squirm away.
I was cutting my last bit-o-mesclun, and a worm squiggled along and said, yo -I'm outa here. He squirmed through the dark crevice in the planter you see here and this is where it gets interesting.
What you see here is this worm's method used to drop itself safely down the planter box. Once through the crevice in the previous photo, it hooked itself in the crevice between the stake and the box, and slowly let itself down. The whole process took a few minutes. When it got down to about three inches above ground, it squirmed out of the crevice and squiggled away!
All this from a creature with no eyes.
But...why were they leaving? Did you take it personally?
ReplyDeleteI remember when bathing our dogs on the lawn (remember lawns?), earthworms would wriggle out en masse because of the soapsuds and water. I felt so bad.
You should feel bad;]
ReplyDeleteI think its either smooth flight or hindenberg disaster for earthworms -especially in pots. As I plant new things, or move a little squirrel dug dirt, they're jumpin out left and right.
Not a lot of gray area for creatures without eyes I suppose.
I don't take it personally, they often land in my shoe and that they must take personally. But I wish they would just stay, they think every human is a robin or something.
Lawns. They're not over for this guy. Not that I have one, but just a 12 x 12 foot square is all I need to go shoeless and luxuriate.