After all the rain we've had recently, parents of toddlers in the Twin Cities area surely have two questions on their minds:

• Will this rain EVER stop? Or, more accurately, will this rain PLEASE let up before I'd rather lie down and get eaten by bears then spend one more second cooped up in the house with my two-year-old?
• And why are there worms all over the sidewalk whenever it rains?

I can't help with the first question.
But the second, that's a topic for Science Buzz!

I always thought that the worms came out of the ground when it rained to avoid being drowned in their burrows. Turns out I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

A series of Straight Dope articles, by Cecil Adams, have enlightened me.

Worm: (Photo by Jiva)

Turns out that the worms are in no danger of drowning. They can actually survive underwater for quite a long time. They are out on the sidewalk after it rains to engage in, um, "amorous activity." For the slimy details, read the Adams' column!

Of course, that's not ALL the worms are doing. They're also trying to move safely to new areas; vulnerable to drying out as they are, they can only do this aboveground at night or after a rain.

My toddler will be blown away by all this. Her explanation is that worms come out because of some altruistic notion that robins are hungry...

For more information about earthworms, check out this JourneyNorth Q&A page.