The Nature of Things

Meet Our Creepy Crawlies  

Insects, arachnids, mollusks, and crustaceans are among some of the many different kinds of "Creepy Crawlies." 

What is an insect?

Insects have six legs and three body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen).  They also have an exoskeleton, which means that their bones are on the outside.  Insects can use antenna to feel, smell, and sometimes to taste and hear.  Butterflies taste with their feet and grasshoppers hear with small holes on their legs.  Insects are egg layers and some have very distinct and changing life cycles.  This is called metamorphosis.

What is an arachnid? 

Arachnids' bodies also posses three body parts and an exoskeleton, but have eight legs instead.  Arachnids include spiders, ticks, and scorpions.

What is a crustacean?

Crustaceans are a very large group of arthropods that includes animals such as shrimp, crabs, lobster, and crayfish.  They are mostly aquatic, but a few live on land, such as hermit crabs.   

Our creepy crawlies (insects, arachnids, crustaceans) include:

Crickets

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Emperor Scorpion

Rose Hair Tarantula

California Ebony Tarantula

Pink Toe Tarantula

Various Exotic Millipedes

Stick Insects

**Please note that even though this is a comprehensive list of all of our animals, not all of these animals are appropriate to bring to programs.  In these cases, it is left to the discretion of the environmental educator**