88 



THE PHYSIOLOGY OF EARTHWORMS 



Liimbriculus and Eisenia foetida by Kirberger (1953). She finds that 

 although Qio ( = rise in respiratory rate for 10 °C rise in temperature) 

 values may change only sUghtly the respiration curves of all cold 

 acclimatized animals shifts to the left as compared with warm 

 acclimatized animals. That is to say at any given temperature animals 

 maintained previously at a low temperature respire more slowly than 

 individuals from a warmer position. Thus specimens from the 

 tropics respire faster than specimens from colder climes when at the 

 same temperature. 



As we have seen above when the temperature rises L. terrestris 



Table 11 



Effect of Partial Pressure of Oxygen on Respiration of Lum- 

 bricus OF Two Sizes 

 (From Raffy, 1930) 



respires more quickly. Earthworms from the tropical lands, 

 however, normally live under temperature conditions higher than 

 earthworms in temperate regions. And as such they are found to 

 respire at higher rates. Table 12 gives the rates of oxygen con- 

 sumption of four species of tropical earthworms at various tem- 

 peratures. Comparison wdth the rates exhibited by temperate 

 species, however, reveals that at the same temperature the rates of 

 both types are similar. The higher respiratory uptake of tropical 

 species is a reflection of the higher environmental temperatures 

 that normally surround them. As is true for temperate species 

 individual respiration rates depend upon the size and volume of the 



