Worms are soft, long-bodied invertebrates, or animals without a backbone. There are at least 20,000 species, or kinds, of worm. They are not all related. In fact, they belong to several different animal groups.
Some well-known groups of worms are flatworms, roundworms, and segmented worms. Flatworms include flukes, tapeworms, and planarians. Roundworms are also called nematodes. Hookworms, threadworms, and pinworms are all nematodes. Segmented worms include earthworms, leeches, and marine worms.
The word “worm” also may be used to describe wormlike creatures. The larvae of certain insects look like worms. For example, firefly larvae are called glowworms. One type of legless lizard is commonly called a slowworm or a blindworm.
