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--Boundary_(ID_IFf0L1DHbiC0hRjEIVlhEw) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Yes, I believe I have heard or read that they do stomp or tramp the ground to stimulate the emergence of earthworms. Similarly, woodcocks have been observed on lawns doing a rhythmic rocking and stomping motion with their feet, presumably again for the same reason. Thanks for the note, Dave, and I'll pass this on to Tom Herman, John Gilhen, and Fred Scott for their comments. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville > From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com> > Date: February 17, 2008 4:22:05 PM AST > To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] Wood turtles and earthworms > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > Dear All, Feb 17, 2008 > I vaguely recall having mentioned this previously in some > context, but in the early 1970's while preparing sidewalls of soil > pits for mapping of apple roots we noticed that scraping the > sidewall with the edge of a small mason's trowel to smooth the > surface stimulated earthworms to emerge from the sidewall. This > applied especially to rigid (shatters under pressure but slakes in > water) or compact soil. > > I now notice that making use of this response is called grunting > (Nat. Hist. 8-13, Aug, 1989). In northern Florida, earthworms are > collected for bait by driving a wooden stake into the ground and > rasping against it with a notched stick or old car coil spring. The > vibrations induce the earthworms to emerge from the soil surface. > > This is all old news but even older news to Wood Turtles in > central Pennsylvania & New Jersey who stomp their fore feet to > induce earthworm emergence (& stomping by Wood Turtles has been > observed in Michigan and Wisconsin). Gulls and Plovers in Europe > catch earthworms in damp meadows by tramping rapidly with both feet > alternately or by vibrating one foot against the ground. > > One Robin or one Ruffed Grouse can make an astonishing of noise > in dry leaves which leads me to wonder if this and the gait of > robins are also forms of grunting for earthworms. > > And do out Wood turtles stomp ? > > Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville --Boundary_(ID_IFf0L1DHbiC0hRjEIVlhEw) Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV>Yes, I believe I have = heard or read that they do stomp or tramp the ground to stimulate the = emergence of earthworms.=A0 Similarly, woodcocks have been observed on = lawns doing a rhythmic rocking and stomping motion with their feet, = presumably again for the same reason.=A0 Thanks for the note, Dave, and = I'll pass this on to Tom Herman, John Gilhen, and Fred Scott for their = comments.</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville<BR><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>From: = </B></FONT><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">David & Alison Webster <<A = href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx.com</A>></FONT></DIV>= <DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>Date: = </B></FONT><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">February 17, 2008 4:22:05 PM AST</FONT></DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>To: </B></FONT><FONT = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><A = href=3D"mailto:NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca</A></FONT>= </DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><B>Subject: </B></FONT><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><B>[NatureNS] Wood turtles and = earthworms</B></FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><B>Reply-To: </B></FONT><FONT face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><A = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A></FONT>= </DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> <DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Dear All,<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 =A0= =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 </SPAN>Feb 17, 2008</DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 = </SPAN>I vaguely recall having mentioned this previously in some = context, but in the early 1970's while preparing sidewalls of soil pits = for mapping of apple roots we noticed that scraping the sidewall with = the edge of a small mason's trowel to smooth the surface stimulated = earthworms to emerge from the sidewall. This applied especially to rigid = (shatters under pressure but slakes in water) or compact soil.</DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 </SPAN>I now notice that making = use of this response is called grunting (Nat. Hist. 8-13, Aug, 1989). In = northern Florida, earthworms are collected for bait by driving a wooden = stake into the ground and rasping against it with a notched stick or old = car coil spring. The vibrations induce the earthworms to emerge from the = soil surface.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 = </SPAN>This is all old news but even older news to Wood Turtles in = central Pennsylvania & New Jersey who stomp their fore feet to = induce earthworm emergence (& stomping by Wood Turtles has been = observed in Michigan and Wisconsin). Gulls and Plovers in Europe catch = earthworms in damp meadows by tramping rapidly with both feet = alternately or by vibrating one foot against the ground.</DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 </SPAN>One Robin or one Ruffed = Grouse can make an astonishing of noise in dry leaves which leads me to = wonder if this and the gait of robins are also forms of grunting for = earthworms.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 = </SPAN>And do out Wood turtles stomp ?</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Yours truly, = Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>= --Boundary_(ID_IFf0L1DHbiC0hRjEIVlhEw)--
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