Reptile & Amphibian Forums

O.K., in the northern midwest around where I live, the extent of native earthworms was pushed way south during the last glaciation. So Terrapene carolina carolina around here did not have worms to eat until Europeans introduced them. But the exotic worms have been consuming the litter layer on the forest floor.

So, if you're a T. c. carolina, are you happy to have worms to eat when you didn't have them before? Or are you sad to lose the litter that keeps you hidden when young and helps keep you hydrated when young and throughout your life?

Since T. Carolina wouldn't be native to the "northern midwest"....what does it matter?

They are native to northern Michigan. So what is northern midwest to you?

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

I personally was thinking of right where I live, in Michigan. Michigan is often referred to as "mid-west". And box turtles are native south of a line from about Detroit to Traverse City.

Exotic species of any type, be it plant or animal, are generally never a good idea. While some native species may temporarily benefit, the ultimate damage done by an introduced species is to the entire ecosystem. I'm not familiar with your exotic worm species situation but I would think that the damage done to the leaf litter would disrupt a vital part of the forest floor ecosystem and all the hundreds of species that depend on it.

"Exotic species of any type, be it plant or animal, are generally never a good idea. While some native species may temporarily benefit, the ultimate damage done by an introduced species is to the entire ecosystem. I'm not familiar with your exotic worm species situation but I would think that the damage done to the leaf litter would disrupt a vital part of the forest floor ecosystem and all the hundreds of species that depend on it."

I think you've got it pretty close to "right". I sometimes think we should not have purposely planted salmon, steelhead, and brown trout in Lake Michigan, living close to that Lake.

If you're curious, I can send you some scientific articles on effects of exotic worms on forest floor - my address is wjboelema@yahoo.com They do harm some plant species, and Jim Harding was saying he remembered an article (but couldn't remember where) on the harm done to salamander diversity in Minnesota because of exotic earthworms.