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alwayscurious

Worm Identification...

8 years ago

Wondering if this is a red wiggler since I am attempting my first worm bin.


https://gyazo.com/6c41a3ac2fa35a22d3c44039e0e77fc4

Comments (7)

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I found this worm in my backyard and live in Newfoundland, Canada. I tried to get better pictures.


  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    It helps to know scale. An easy way to get that is to put a ruler into the photo.

    Generally, the darker colored worms are either anecic or epigeic. Anecic worms are the ones that make permanent vertical burrows in the soil and the worms tend to be quite big - like the conventional "nightcrawlers" as they are known in many places. Epigeic are dwellers in the surface litter and are the types we use for composting. They tend to be on the smaller side. The third type, endogeic, are the ones that make horizontal burrows below the soil surface. Lighter in color, typically medium in size between the two. I find lots of grey-colored and pinkish endogeic worms when I dig in my garden.

    If the reddish worm in your picture is small and was found in some leaf litter rather then burrowing in the soil, it's likely a species appropriate for composting, whether or not it's actually a red wiggler. But you'll need more than one to start a worm bin :-)

  • 8 years ago

    I found the worm after it had rained on the pavement trying to escape back into the grass. There were two other smaller worms with it but I managed to only get the one in the picture along with a smaller juvenile. I don't even know if red wigglers are native to my area.


  • 8 years ago

    I can't speak for others, but all of my red wigglers out here on the W coast usually have a noticably yellowish tint at the tail end. Yours look more like a regular earthworm to me. If you have a compost pile have a look in there, because chances are pretty good that those will be red wigglers. That's how I got my start with worm composting.


  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Unfortunately my compost pile is inside so I won't find any there. I managed to find more worms after I set up some wet leaves and I placed them in a bin with food and bedding. Is there anyway I can know if they are earthworms if they die or do anything in the bin?

  • 8 years ago

    Are any worms you happen to find in leaves after it has rained considered to be red wigglers? I've found a dozen or so and am hoping to have better luck with these. Out of the original 6 I had, 4 died.

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