INVERTEBRATES

The Honey Bee Colony

Scientific Name: Apis mellifera

Info:  Like ants, Honey Bees are social insects. They live in huge, organized colonies of worker females and males, headed by one queen bee. These bees produce the honey that we eat. They are also pollinators of many fruit and vegetable crops.

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Hermit Crab

Scientific Name:  Coenibita clypeatu

Info:  The hermit crab is a type of crab that doesn't have a very hard shell. It is not a true crab since it uses other animals' old shells for protection (especially old whelk shells). As the hermit crab grows in size, it must find a larger shell. The hermit crab is a crustacean and there are about 500 different species of hermit crabs around the world. Most hermit crab species live on the ocean floor, but many live on land. Female terrestrial (land based) hermit crabs must return to the sea to breed.

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Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Scientific Name:  Gromphadorhina portentosa

Info:  The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a large, wingless cockroach from Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. Little is known about its ecology, but this insect probably lives on the forest floor in rotten logs and feeds on fallen fruit. The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a fascinating insect because of its unusual ability to produce sound. However, its unusual appearance and elaborate behavior also contribute to its appeal.

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Crayfish

Scientific Name:  Cambarus acanthura

Info:  Crayfish are crustaceans that are also known as crawdads, crawfish, and freshwater lobsters.  They are closely related to lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. There are about 150 crayfish species in North America, and over 540 species worldwide. Crayfish live in streams, rivers, swamps, ponds, and other freshwater habitats. Most crayfish are strictly aquatic but some live in semi- aquatic environments. The semi-aquatic crayfish burrow into the soil to get to water (so that they can breathe).

Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula

Scientific Name:  Grammostola rosea

Info:  Tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world, and in spite of how they are portrayed in the movies, they are not really dangerous to humans. Tarantulas spend most of their lives underground in burrows.  They sit by the entrance at night and wait for insects and other small animals to wander too close. Most people see tarantulas during mating season, when males leave their burrows and search for the burrows of adult females. Males live to be 10 or 11 years old, dieing after mating. Females can live 25 years or more; they can mate and lay eggs several times during their lives.

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