Everything About Worms and Ears
Us humans have a keen sense of hearing. We use our ears to help understand other people, listen to music I mean the possibilities are endless. When it comes to listening, some animals are better than others.
For example, a pair of earplugs won’t do much for hedgehogs and bats. But for earthworms, the ability to hear is second nature. From shallow soil to deep earth and everything in between, their hearing is acute so they can locate prey anywhere they’re likely to find it.
Now we know worms don’t have faces. But do worms have ears? Continue reading to find out.
Do Worms Have Ears?
This is a pretty common question that we’ve received.
The short answer is No, Worms don’t have ears. Now worms don’t have ears but can they hear the sound? Do they hear? There are so many questions that arise from just this simple one.
Can Earthworms Hear Sound?
No worms can’t hear sounds like us humans and other animals can.
Unfortunately, worms aren’t like us and weren’t developed like us. They have no ability to hear or listen for say. As mentioned above worms don’t have ears meaning they have no eardrums.
Eardrums are how we hear. Worms don’t have them. Now there is something special about worms. Worms can actually detect vibrations. What do we mean by this? You’ll have to continue reading to find out.
Worms Sense Vibrations In The Soil
Earthworms don’t have ears, but they do have special organs throughout their bodies that sense vibrations and changes in the soil. Just like when humans use sound to find their way, they can use the vibrations in the soil to help them navigate.
When they sense danger, they will curl up into a ball, which is a very primitive form of hearing. They can also sense changes in their environment by sensing the vibrations in the soil.
These vibrations are so small that humans can’t even see them. If you put your hands in a bowl of soil and move them around, the worms will sense the vibrations and move towards you. This is because they are using their whole body as a means of sensing their surroundings.
When hearing is added to worms’ ability to sense vibrations, it would drastically change their ability to find food. Humans have many different senses for a reason. Ears would be very useful for finding food and avoiding predators, but worms don’t need them.
They can also sense the movement of air in the soil so they know how far below the surface they are. They can’t hear sound, but they can hear vibrations in the soil so they can find their food.
Summary
Now, this was a rather shorter article. There’s not much to mention.
Earthworms don’t have ears, but they do have an organ called a statocyst that helps them to sense their surrounding. The statocyst helps them detect vibrations.
These vibrations are real super powers to worms. Humans have many different senses for a reason. Ears would be very useful for finding food and avoiding predators, but worms don’t need them.
