What Is Worm Discovered After Steady Rain?

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We recently received this message from a reader, “I live on the eastern shore of Maryland and saw this “worm” on the side of my house during a few days of steady rain. It is 2am. Any idea what it is?” She sent us a photo of the side of her house and we can see not one but two worm-like organisms in the picture! We think she is talking about the worm in the center of the photograph and not the one in the bottom left corner but we aren’t totally sure. We will discuss both of these specimens just to cover all of the bases.

First we will discuss the worm in the center of the photo. This worm is an orange/brown color. We think it is a few inches long with a thin, segmented body. Although the creature is a little out of focus, we are pretty sure that this is an earthworm. Earthworms appear after steady rains because the soil they are living in gets oversaturated and they take advantage of the wet environment to move to new areas. We don’t know why this earthworm is scaling the walls of our reader’s home, but if she wants to move it we encourage her to put it back in some soil near her home. Earthworms are not dangerous in the least and they are big contributors to a healthy ecosystem.

We also recognize the creature in the bottom left corner of the picture. This is a leopard slug! Leopard slugs, also sometimes called grey slugs, are usually found near lawns, gardens, cellars, and other damp areas with lots of shade. Leopard slugs are primarily detritivores, but some eat young plants as well. These slugs are sometimes considered a nuisance because they can eat crops, but they aren’t usually thought of as pests or dangerous specimens. Our reader can let this slug be, or gently move it back onto her lawn.

To sum up, a reader sent us a photograph of two creatures she noticed on the side of her house after steady rain. We believe that one of these creatures is an earthworm and that the other is a leopard slug!

 

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Summary
What Is Worm Discovered After Steady Rain?
Article Name
What Is Worm Discovered After Steady Rain?
Description
A reader sent us a photograph of two creatures she noticed on the side of her house after steady rain. We believe that one of these creatures is an earthworm and that the other is a leopard slug!
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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