# Are albino earthworms possible?



## bugmankeith (Feb 2, 2011)

I heard of slugs and snails being albino, but what about earthworms? So many are raised for bait and gardens, you think one would have turned up?


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## Louise E. Rothstein (Feb 3, 2011)

Earthworm skins are very thin.
Unless they are fairly heavily pigmented their red blood shows through:
so albino earthworms would not look "white."

Are albino earthworms possible?

-They probably are.

Would anyone recognize them...?

-Probably not.


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## bugmankeith (Feb 3, 2011)

So they would probably be white with lots of red veins showing. Earthworms have pigment, so lacking it should make them look very diffrent.


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## Louise E. Rothstein (Feb 8, 2011)

Veins show up if there is a color contrast.
If earthworms have enough capillaries to show through their skins there might not be enough color contrast to highlight their veins.

Would albino earthworms look white anywhere...?

Would breeding adults have white clitella?
Would their shed clitella look like white-not brown-"seeds?"

Or would they be translucent...with eggs showing through...?


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## Gigi (Feb 12, 2017)

I think i found one. It is clear and i can see the dirt and veins inside. It has a pink head


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## The Snark (Feb 12, 2017)

Do earthworm skins even possess true pigment?


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## RTTB (Feb 12, 2017)

If you could breed all white earthworms you would make a fortune marketing them to fishermen.


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