Do earthworms dig?

Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos at Wikimedia.

 Yes, though it is more like pushing their way through the dirt!  Earthworms have very little, tiny, hairs called setae all over their body.  They also have strong muscles that are shaped like circles and other strong muscles that go along their body.  When an earthworm is ready to dig, it sticks its setae (on its tail) out into the dirt.  The setae hold onto the dirt while the worm uses its muscles to stretch out as long as it can (and dig or push through the dirt!).  After it's stretched out, it sticks the setae on its head into the dirt to hold onto the dirt while it pulls its tail up close to the head.  Then it starts all over again!

If you're very quiet you might be able to hear the setae if you can convince a worm to crawl on a piece of paper.  If you have a magnifying glass, you might be able to see the setae, too.