Went out after the spring rain and found this gross mutant worm. It looks like two worms melted together in the middle with a thick slimy band. They are stuck together and barely moving. What is going

hange Sperm and Later Lay Cocoons

After two earthworms have successfully mated, they each store the sperm received from the other in special sacs called receptacles. Later, as the clitellum secretes a mucus ring, the worm backs out of it, and the ring passes over the reproductive organs, picking up both the worm’s eggs and the stored sperm.

Once fully passed, the mucus ring slides off the worm’s head and closes to form a cocoon, within which fertilization occurs. These cocoons are then deposited in the soil, where the eggs will develop into juvenile worms. This efficient reproductive strategy ensures the continuation of the earthworm population.

7. Is This Dangerous or a Sign of Pollution? What It Actually Means