ltdiver 3 #1 February 27, 2010 In this El Nino season, a question arose with some friends . . . A little discovery trying to answer why so many worms are on the sidewalk every time it rains . . . ? http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/372/why-do-worms-crawl-on-the-sidewalk-after-it-rains ( and no, it's not to avoid drowning ) Who knew that humans and worms had so much in common! Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #2 February 27, 2010 very enlightening..... wasn't there a song?? about such things.. "Why don't we DO IT in the road (sidewalk) "..... jt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,488 #3 February 27, 2010 Hey Lori... My favorite electives to take while in college were Zoology. First, let me say that I'm going off memory here. Worms "can" cross-fertilize, but that's only of they happen to bump into each other (they have no eyes). They are hermaphrodites and mostly self-reproduce. There are two more likely explanations since they have been around much longer than concrete sidewalks and driveways, 1) the rain allows them to move faster along the surface to a more rich food environment, and 2) the rain makes the same kind of thumping sound as some of their underground predators, so they surface to move away more quickly (they know not what above ground predators may be lurking). So, because of the "no eyes" thing, it's not like the rain is an invite to the sidewalk bar to check out the chicks. I can tell you this... not from my studies in Zoology; but those in observations of human behavior. When you've learned to dissect a lobster in class and find it fascinating, there are very few ladies who are impressed with your new found knowledge and begin dissecting their lobster dinner. They really don't give a shit where the gills are found in a lobster. As a result, I found it much cheaper and advantageous in the human mating game to go with the steak dinner. Keith Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #4 February 27, 2010 My dad used worms to fish, so we had a big compost pile full of them. Rich and damp earth. The worms in that pile always seemed more active than ones in other places. In dry dirt, the worms were less frequent and moved less. I thought it was because the texture was easier to move through. My theory is probably as valid as the others. The grass is a little higher than the sidewalk in most places. If a worm moves around enough, it just falls onto the sidewalk and can't get back into the grass. It may not be a complex answer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
