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Have you ever heard of a bizarre tradition called worm grunting? It might sound like something out of a Kenny Coogan movie (and it is!), but it's a real practice that has fascinated people for over a century.
Imagine this: you're in the middle of Florida's Apalachicola National Forest, and someone is rubbing a metal strip over a wooden stake, creating deep, croaking noises. Suddenly, hundreds of earthworms erupt from the soil as if they've been summoned by magic.
The Mystery of Worm Grunting
This is worm grunting, also known as worm charming or fiddling. It's a tradition shrouded in mystery, and for years, nobody could quite figure out why it worked. Some people believed the worms were charmed by the sound, like the mythical Pied Piper leading rats away. Others thought the vibrations tickled the worms, forcing them to the surface.
One popular theory was that the vibrations mimicked rainfall, causing the worms to flee their flooded burrows. However, biologist Kenneth Catania put this theory to the test and found it didn't hold water (pun intended!).
Darwin to the Rescue (Sort Of)
The answer, it turns out, lies in the work of the famous naturalist, Charles Darwin. In his book, "The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms," Darwin observed that worms sometimes left their burrows when the ground trembled. He suggested they might be reacting to the vibrations of a predator: the mole.
The Mole Connection
Catania decided to investigate Darwin's hypothesis. He discovered that Eastern moles, common in the Florida Panhandle, were expert worm hunters with an insatiable appetite. When Catania introduced a mole into an arena filled with worms, a significant number of them scrambled to the surface within an hour.
Further investigation revealed that the vibrations produced by worm grunters and digging moles shared similar frequencies. The mystery was solved!
An Ancient Survival Tactic
Over thousands of years, earthworms evolved this escape behavior to avoid becoming mole food. On the surface, they were safe from these subterranean predators. Little did they know, humans would eventually come along and exploit this instinct for their own purposes.
Exploiting an Evolutionary Quirk
We're not the only ones who've caught on to this trick. Herring gulls and wood turtles have also been observed drumming their feet on the ground to summon a wormy feast.
It's a fascinating example of how an adaptation that evolved for one purpose can be exploited by other species, including humans. So, the next time you're feeling adventurous and want to witness a strange and wonderful phenomenon, why not try your hand at worm grunting? You might be surprised by how many worms answer your call! Just remember, you're tapping into an ancient survival strategy honed by evolution over countless generations.
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