So if you chop a worm in half it lives?

[charliecat]

Is that right? I had 3 people insist this today...surely not???????!!!!!!!!!!

I think one half may recover.

yep, and if u are really lucky u get two worms!

That would be more interesting. However, you usually get a dead worm. Some species can grow a new tail, but not if you cut too far up.

Were you plannign on trying it?

no, i detest cutting them in half and wish I could warn them that im going to be doing some digging lol

am sure we did this as an experiment at school (how cruel!) and only the bit with the saddle (the thick bit a third of the way along the worm IIRC) survives. The bit you cut off regrows.

I cleaned the patio last weekend and got loads, the water brings them to the surface. The kids thought it was great tho.

According to our biology teacher at school the head half may regrow but not always (I think....twas a long time ago )

If you cut a worm in half and you are really lucky you won't kill it.

worms actually have 10 hearts .. so technically you should be able to cut it into 10 pieces and have 10 living worms

have just read that on your thread twiglett, how do you know that? Where have they got space for them??????????

\link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/416.shtml\wormyfacts}

Same as you saint, if you cut them in half one usually dies and the other re-grows it's tail..

I think it is more usual that they die.

The head end can regrow some segments and survive but more often they die fairly quickly thereafter. They have just had a major traumatic injury afterall.