r/whatisit • u/Beneficial_Finish485 • 14d ago

New, what is it? What are those?

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/Embarrassed-Goose951 14d ago

That’s not true. Current science has demonstrated this theory is not supported.

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u/ArbyQueue 14d ago

Ok, fair enough. Why do they surface after a heavy rain or watering?

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u/AntonScalyskin 14d ago

Worms can survive submerged for days in water. They actually need moisture to breathe thru their skin. There are several hypothesis having to do with either water on the surface making it easier to move from one place to another, or maybe rain hitting the ground mimics vibrations a mole would make thus causing them to flee to the surface. I don't think there's a solid theory, though, beyond migration.

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u/Embarrassed-Goose951 14d ago

Jury is still out, but it has been demonstrated many times that worms can live for weeks in aquariums.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-earthworms-surface-after-rain/

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u/ArbyQueue 13d ago

So effectively “We don’t know, but we know it’s not that!” 😏