Question

The early morning silence is shattered by a puzzling sound echoing through the forest. Is it an otherworldly creature—or a worm grunter?

Worm grunting is a practice used to bring earthworms up to the surface of the ground. It's also known by other names, such as worm charming. Some worm grunters pound a wooden rod into the ground, and then rub a metal strip across the rod. The sound this makes has been compared to a rundown door creaking and a bullfrog with a sore throat. Some grunters put a running chainsaw into the ground. Others use knitting needles or pitchfork tines. And some worm grunters put on a show—by tap dancing to drive worms to the surface.

But it's not the sound pulsating through the air that beckons the earthworms out of the soil's damp darkness. It's the vibrations created by the instruments the worm grunters use. The vibrations mimic those made by moles moving underground. These underground mammals eat earthworms. So, to avoid becoming a mole meal, the worms quickly flee to the surface. There, the worms are easily scooped up by humans instead.

On a typical morning, professional charmers may collect about 4,000 earthworms. The worms are then sorted into buckets of 50 and sold for freshwater fishing bait. But worm grunting doesn't just pay the bills. It's also an excuse for recreational activities. Worm grunting festivals take place in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These festivals celebrate the unusual but reliable practice of calling for earthworms to rise from the ground. These events also get competitive, as grunters face off to determine who has the best worm-charming skills. There's even a Guinness World Record for worm charming, set by a 10-year-old girl in the UK in 2009. The young girl collected 567 worms in 30 minutes—by wiggling a fork in the ground while hitting it with a stick.

Question 2


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Based on the article, which of these is true about worm grunters?

Worm grunters take advantage of an earthworm's fear of moles.
Worm grunters must use special tools made just for grunting.
Worm grunting is a highly specialized skill with a single useful method.
Worm grunting is done only to pay the bills and is never a hobby.

Answer 1

Worm grunters take advantage of an earthworm's fear of moles.

Explanation: the vibrations made by grunting mimic moles moving underground, so worms surface to escape predation.