Do Earthworms Regrow After They Are Chopped in Half?

The earthworm is a tiny, long, pink life-form with some amazing attributes, especially for one so small, but can this delicate insect truly survive a chop across its middle?

  1. Earthworm Facts

    • Did you know that Charles Darwin studied worms for 39 years?

      Earthworms breathe through their skin and can live up to two years, though they have been known to live as long as six when in the care of an earthworm farm. Even though earthworms are considered hermaphrodites, producing both sperm and an egg, they still need to mate with another worm in order to reproduce.

    The Myth

    • The myth states that if one cuts an earthworm in half at the middle of the worm, both sides will crawl away and grow anew, but can this be true?

    The Cutting Truth

    • Potential worm survival shouldn't encourage testing the theory.

      The truth is that the worm will die. One factor is that one side of the worm contains the "mouth," and one side contains the posterior. With one devoted to taking in nutrients and the other for disposing of waste, it would be unfeasible for the posterior end to survive. Another factor is that worms have organs that if chopped in half would be destroyed. However, worms that have had the very tips of their "tails" cut off have been known to survive.