Who Eats Earthworms?

Although earthworms spend most of their lives safely underground, many animals depend on them for food. In fact, earthworms are an important part of the food web. They help forests grow by improving the soil, and they also provide food for many birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

The next time your child finds an earthworm, ask: "Who do you think might be looking for this worm?" You may be surprised by how many answers there are.

Robins

The American Robin is probably the bird most people associate with earthworms. Robins have excellent eyesight and often spot worms moving just beneath the soil. They tilt their heads as they search the ground, looking for movement before quickly pulling the worm from the soil. During spring, robins collect hundreds of earthworms to feed their growing chicks.

Next time you see a robin standing still on a lawn, ask your child: "Do you think it's listening, watching, or waiting?"

Scientists believe robins mainly use their excellent vision to find worms.

American Crows

American crows are intelligent birds that eat many different foods, including earthworms. After a rainstorm, you may see crows walking across lawns and fields searching for worms that have come closer to the surface.

Thrushes

Several species of thrushes, including the Wood Thrush, eat earthworms. Like robins, they search through leaf litter and moist soil for worms and other small animals. If you hear a Wood Thrush singing in the forest, remember that healthy soil beneath the trees helps provide food for these beautiful birds.

Moles

Moles spend almost their entire lives underground. They dig long tunnels through the soil searching for food. Earthworms are one of the mole's favorite foods and make up a large part of its diet. The tunnels moles create sometimes cross the same underground areas where earthworms live.

Shrews

Shrews are tiny mammals with long pointed noses and very fast metabolisms. They spend much of their day searching for insects, worms, and other small animals. Because they need to eat frequently to survive, earthworms are an important food source for many shrew species.

Toads

American toads are nighttime hunters. As darkness falls, they search for worms, insects, slugs, and other small animals. Their sticky tongues allow them to catch prey quickly. If you find a toad in your garden, there is a good chance it shares its habitat with earthworms.

Salamanders

Many salamanders hunt in damp forests where earthworms are plentiful. They hide beneath logs, rocks, and leaf litter during the day and become active when conditions are cool and moist. Because both salamanders and earthworms need moisture to survive, they are often found in the same habitats.

Snakes

Some snakes eat earthworms, especially smaller species. For example, worm snakes feed mainly on earthworms and other soft bodied animals living underground. Larger snakes may occasionally eat worms, but they usually prefer frogs, mice, birds, or other prey.

Turtles

Several freshwater turtles, including the Eastern Box Turtle, eat earthworms when they find them. Earthworms provide an excellent source of protein.

If you've ever watched a turtle searching through damp leaves after rain, it may be looking for worms.

Ground Beetles

Not all worm predators are large. Some ground beetles hunt small earthworms, especially young worms living near the soil surface. Ground beetles are fast moving insects that patrol the forest floor at night looking for prey.

Why Predators Are Important

It may seem sad that so many animals eat earthworms. But predators play an important role in healthy ecosystems.

Earthworms recycle dead plants and improve the soil -->Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects depend on earthworms for food --> Those animals then become food for other predators. Every living thing is connected. Without earthworms, many other animals would struggle to find enough food.

What to Notice Together

The next time you find an earthworm, ask your child:

What animals do you think live nearby?
Can you hear a robin singing?
Do you see any bird holes in the lawn?
Can you find signs that a mole has been digging?
What other animals might be searching for worms right now?

Helping children connect one animal to another helps them understand that nature works as a team.

Try This on Your Next Nature Walk

Become a Food Web Detective.

Each time you find an earthworm, look around before walking away.

Can you spot a robin?

Hear a Wood Thrush?

Find a toad under a log?

See fresh mole tunnels?

Every clue tells part of the story.

Your child will begin noticing that no animal lives alone.

Putting It All Together

Children often think of an earthworm as just another animal living in the dirt. But once they learn how many creatures depend on earthworms for survival, they begin to understand something much bigger. Every earthworm helps support an entire community of wildlife.

The next time your child discovers a worm beneath a leaf, remind them that they have found an important part of the forest's food web.

Continue the Adventure Outdoors

Reading about the animals that eat earthworms is a wonderful beginning. Spotting a robin searching the ground, finding mole tunnels, or discovering a salamander beneath a log helps children see that every animal is connected through the food web.

At Little Hikers Long Island, families explore local parks together while learning how plants, insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians all depend on one another. Through hands on exploration, children build observation skills and discover the hidden connections that make Long Island's forests come alive.

If you would like to continue exploring the nature of Long Island together, we would love to have you join us on the trail.

About Little Hikers Long Island

Little Hikers Long Island is a fully outdoor parent and child nature program at West Hills County Park in Huntington, New York. Through hands-on exploration, families learn about the local plants, insects, animals, and seasonal changes found right here on Long Island. Children learn to observe closely, ask thoughtful questions, compare what they see, and build a lasting relationship with the natural world around them.

Our goal is to help children become careful observers, confident explorers, and future stewards of the places they call home, because children protect what they understand.

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