How do you tell the species of earthworms apart?

You can identify an earthworm by looking at a number of external features, such as the head, male pour and clitellum. Because earthworms are small you need a microscope and an identification guide. If you are looking a British there is a key to the 31 different species of earthworms. 

If you are interested in identifying earthworms and would like to know what resources are available please visit our Identifying Earthworms page.

To find out more about recording earthworms please visit our National Earthworm Recording Scheme page.