Earthworms
Earthworms
Earthworms are segmented worms belonging to the subclass Oligochaeta in phylum Annelida. They are perhaps the most widely-recognized soil animal and play important roles in decomposing dead plant material and structuring soil through burrowing action. There are three functional types of earthworms: epigeics, which live on the surface in the litter layer, anecics, which eat litter from the surface and burrow vertically down into soil, and endogeics, which live entirely underground and eat soil.