Within the egg, a young earthworm develops until it is ready to hatch. The egg is encased in an egg casing called a cocoon. The number of eggs within one cocoon can vary between species, ranging between 1 and 20 from earthworm species in the family Lumbricidae (but most species have just 1).
How many eggs do worms lay at a time?
When the tiny worms reach hatching age, the egg takes on a reddish cast. Each cocoon can contain as many as 10 fertilized eggs inside it, from which one to three babies will emerge.
How many eggs can an earthworm produce each year?
Once earthworms have reached adulthood -- that age varies according to species -- they're sexually mature and ready to produce the next generation. They can produce between three and 80 cocoons each year.
How many babies do worms produce?
Each worm will continue to produce cocoons (without needing to mate again) for as long as the donated sperm supply lasts. In the case of Red Worms (Eisenia fetida), each cocoon typically produces 2 -20 baby worms, which under favorable conditions hatch out in 2-6 weeks.
How many eggs are in a worm cocoon?
Each cocoon may have as many as 20 eggs in it but only some of those eggs actually survive and hatch into “wrigglers”. The eggs incubate for about 3 weeks before hatching. On average, 2-4 worms usually hatch out of each cocoon. It takes 6 weeks for worms to grow up and become of age to make babies.
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