Rethinking Food; Eartworms are not native to Northern US and Canada

[Selkielass]

While researching raising and keeping worms for feeding I came across some information that floored me.
Worms are not native to the Great Lakes region, nor through much of the Northern US and Canada. Glaciers pushed Native worm species South and west, and all species currently found in these northern areas are Non-native, invasive foreign species.

Night crawlers are European, Red Wigglers Eurasian. Forest ecosystems in the Great Lakes regions are being disrupted by introduced worm populations that are causing major changes in the ecology of the forest floor.

See;
Great Lakes Worm Watch :: Forest ecology and worms
bootstrap analysis: as the worms turn
Michigan Tech Media Relations Story#57 - Earthworms Endangering Rare Northern Ferns

What does this mean to us?

If I'm interpreting this information correctly, it means that garters and similar snakes in these areas would *not* have been eating worms since the area was recolonized after the last glaciation. Their primary natural diet *has* to be something else- worms are only common, even since introduction my man, in towns, areas agriculturally developed by man, and near roads where egg cases were probably brought in by vehicles.

So, here is what I'm left wondering; What have wild garters in these northern regions *actually* been eating for the last 10,000 years or so?
It seems we can't simply write it off as earthworms anymore.

[Stefan-A]

So, here is what I'm left wondering; What have wild garters in these northern regions *actually* been eating for the last 10,000 years or so?
It seems we can't simply write it off as earthworms anymore.

If I remember correctly, the species found in (roughly) that region should be two generalists, two slug & leech specialists and two amphibian specialists.

[Selkielass]

Michigan list here; DNR - Michigan's Snakes

I agree with you on the slugs leeches and amphibians, but I'm a bit stymied by the fact that, at least in the areas I have searched, not terribly abundant. (And all heavily colonized by worms.)
I wonder if Garter numbers have increased in response to the availablity of this 'new' food source.
I also can't shake the feeling that worms may be garter junk food- delicious stuff they will jump on with relish when they can get it, but a long way from being nutritionally complete.

Slugs would provide a good bit more calcium wouldn't they? Descriptions of duff laden Native woods lead me to think slugs would have been a lot more abundant. Has anyone experimented with raising and feeding native slugs?

I'm tossing this out here to get people thinking and discussing- the more we can figure out about how they would have lived in the wild, the better we can duplicate those needs in captivity. Small litters and mysterious sicknesses lead me to think there is a lot left to study and figure out.

[Stefan-A]

I agree with you on the slugs leeches and amphibians, but I'm a bit stymied by the fact that, at least in the areas I have searched, not terribly abundant. (And all heavily colonized by worms.)

The thing is, you'd need to know the situation at least 300-500 years ago. Not just before the worms came, but before habitat destruction was a problem.

I wonder if Garter numbers have increased in response to the availablity of this 'new' food source.

Not at all impossible. We know that has happened before, eg. with birds that benefit from farming.

I also can't shake the feeling that worms may be garter junk food- delicious stuff they will jump on with relish when they can get it, but a long way from being nutritionally complete.

If it was that bad, it should at the very least have started a rapid decline of the populations. Insufficient data.

[mb90078]

I wonder if Garter numbers have increased in response to the availablity of this 'new' food source.

I also can't shake the feeling that worms may be garter junk food- delicious stuff they will jump on with relish when they can get it, but a long way from being nutritionally complete.

I tend to agree much more closely from the first idea than the second. I would tend to think that even though these may be "foreign" species, they were beneficial, and in this case, may have helped the garter population to flourish. Maybe without the introduction of earthworms, we wouldn't have garters today (even if they existed prior to the introduction). Just something to think about, rather than demonizing them as a food source, solely due to the fact they haven't been here since the beginning of time.

[guidofatherof5]

[QUOTE=Selkielass;136742]
I also can't shake the feeling that worms may be garter junk food- delicious stuff they will jump on with relish when they can get it, but a long way from being nutritionally complete.
QUOTE]

I think there is more to night crawlers than we may realize. They may have a high water content but whatever is left must be doing something right. The main source of food for the radixes in my area is night crawlers. The radixes are thriving and growing large. I feed 70% night crawlers and I've got some big healthy snakes.
I've heard they are high in protein.
I know that some of the study findings would vary because of soil conditions in the test area, but there must be something special in them there worms.
I did find this from a worm seller.
Nutritional Analysis for Nightcrawlers
Moisture - 83.6%, Protein - 11.7%,
Fat - 1.5%, Ash - 1.2%, Other - 2.0%
Nutritional Analysis for Nightcrawlers
Moisture - 83.6%, Protein - 11.7%,
Fat - 1.5%, Ash - 1.2%, Other - 2.0%

[ssssnakeluvr]

the garters were here before the worms....they have adapted to eating them. the snakes get additional nutrients from the worms food.
ordinoides are primarily worm feeders also. my male ordinoides has eaten only worms since last december...and he's doing fine (was only able to trick him once with a pinkie mixed in a pile of chopped worms)

[ConcinusMan]

It doesn't mean a dang thing to me or my snakes. Earthworms here now and garters are chowing down on them.(night crawlers)

What a population or lineage of wild garters eat naturally adjusts according to what is available and many other variables. Even if the change in food supply happens suddenly, say over a period of 50 years or so. Fuggitabout 10,000 years. If I had that long, I could probabably get all those generations to go from thriving on amphibians to surviving on gummy worms in that time. (not really )

The wild snakes found within at least a 60 mile radius of my location would have been flooded out with biblical proportions of water, and intermittent glaciation up to hundreds of meters thick. That lasted for several thousand years. By 10,000 years ago, there were no snakes here and glaciation hasn't returned. In the past 10,000 years, the garters moved in and thrived with whatever is available.

Man during that time was eating a bunch of crap we wouldn't consider eating now and risking his life to get it. I could see it now, some guy walks into a bar in the northern central U.S. and asks for an order of medium rare mammoth...

[Spankenstyne]

I often wonder where the idea that earthworms are nutritionally deficient came from? Everything I've ever heard, read, or found online points to them being a good food source for many animals. For example here's part of an abstract about the Nutritive value of earthworms:

Abstract:
The chemical compositions of the earthworm Eisenia fetida, its casts and body fluids were investigated and compared with those of a variety of common foods and animal feeds. Nutrient analyses showed that Eisenia fetida meal has a high protein content in the range of 54.6 to 71.0% dry matter. The protein content and amino acid composition were close to those of fish meal and eggs, and higher than cow milk powder and soyabean meal. Casts of E. fetida had a protein content of 7.9% dry matter, similar to that of maize meal, and hence earthworm casts could be used not only as an excellent organic fertilizer, but also for partial replacement of maize meal or wheat bran in animal diets. Earthworm body fluids contained 9.4% protein and 78.79 free amino acids per litre and were rich in vitamins and minerals, in particular iron (Fe). Our nutrient analyses suggest that the earthworm (Eisenia fetida) could be an excellent protein supplement for animal feed and human food.

From here: Nutritive value of earthworms. | Sun ZhenJun | Ecological implications of minilivestock: potential of insects, rodents, frogs and snails | Science Publishers, Inc.

I think if anything we underestimate their value. There are tribes of people that eat earthworms for food (look up "Noke" as an example)

[Stefan-A]

I often wonder where the idea that earthworms are nutritionally deficient came from? Everything I've ever heard, read, or found online points to them being a good food source for many animals. For example here's part of an abstract about the Nutritive value of earthworms:

Abstract:
The chemical compositions of the earthworm Eisenia fetida, its casts and body fluids were investigated and compared with those of a variety of common foods and animal feeds. Nutrient analyses showed that Eisenia fetida meal has a high protein content in the range of 54.6 to 71.0% dry matter. The protein content and amino acid composition were close to those of fish meal and eggs, and higher than cow milk powder and soyabean meal. Casts of E. fetida had a protein content of 7.9% dry matter, similar to that of maize meal, and hence earthworm casts could be used not only as an excellent organic fertilizer, but also for partial replacement of maize meal or wheat bran in animal diets. Earthworm body fluids contained 9.4% protein and 78.79 free amino acids per litre and were rich in vitamins and minerals, in particular iron (Fe). Our nutrient analyses suggest that the earthworm (Eisenia fetida) could be an excellent protein supplement for animal feed and human food.

From here: Nutritive value of earthworms. | Sun ZhenJun | Ecological implications of minilivestock: potential of insects, rodents, frogs and snails | Science Publishers, Inc.

I think if anything we underestimate their value. There are tribes of people that eat earthworms for food (look up "Noke" as an example)

There's two things in that text that I'd like to highlight:
1. could be an excellent protein supplement
2. could be an excellent protein supplement

I don't think it's necessary to explain the implications.