Geographic Range

Earthworms and their aquatic relatives are found all over the world. There are several thousand species! Most live in muck and mud around freshwater, but some live under the sea, and many live in the soil on land. This account is mainly about the earthwoms that live on land. There are at least 21 species of earthworms in Michigan. Some of the biggest and most common species of earthworms in North America were accidentally brought there by colonists from Europe.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); neotropical (Native ); australian (Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced , Native )

Other Geographic Terms: cosmopolitan