Dennis Chleborad, age 14, of Omaha, Nebraska, for his question:

DOES A NIGHT CRAWLER HAVE EARS?

A night crawler is a common worm found in moist, warm soil in many parts of the world. Earthworm is another name for the night crawler.

A night crawler has no ears or eyes but he does have a mouth. He is also verY sensitive to heat, light and touch.

Night crawlers have no lungs or gills. They breathe through their thin skin which is in contact with the air between the particles of soil. When it rains, these air spaces fill with water and the worms then must come to the surface or drown.

If the weather becomes too warm and too dry, a night crawler will die. ' The worms feed on dead plant material in the soil and contribute to plant growth by helping to break down the decaying matter in the soil.