Day 3 - Managing the Arthropods

Materials I use to tend to the
exhibits on display.

    Since Kaeli wasn't here, I worked with Celeste today. This morning I cared for the insects in the Brown Hall of Entomology by myself, which I was pretty proud of. I didn't mess with the Giant Malaysian Katydids, since they terrify me. Here's a video of the noise that they make: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3HMYkL8qJU. I also had a hard time with the Harvestmen (basically daddy-long-legs). They are a self-sustaining colony, so there are many of them and they are very fast. They also like to hang upside down, which just so happens to be the way that you open the enclosure. I tried to wipe the condensation away, but they kept racing to get out, so I had to just leave it be. 

    Next, Celeste showed me to the containment room for the arthropods, which Kaeli had gone over the other day. We changed the leaves in the cages for the phasmids (leaf bugs, stick bugs, etc.), and I got to hold a few! We also checked the enclosure that had stick bug eggs, and since there was a baby stick bug that had hatched, we placed it into the other container with the other stick bug babies. The babies have a similar look to ants since the eggs contain some sort of protein that regular ants collect. Once an ant collects an egg, the egg can safely hatch in an ant colony (and appear as a regular ant). There was a meeting right after we did this, which was interesting to sit in on. It seemed like there were a lot of repairs that had to be done!

    After this, Celeste let me work on the rest of the cages on my own, so I first went through the cages that had a green sticker. These included grubs and cockroaches for the most part. There were about a dozen cages that I either had to mist and/or replace food. After this, Celeste taught me how to work with the more venomous arthropods, which were mainly tarantulas, scorpions, and centipedes. All I did was fill up their water bowls or give them a good mist since the carnivorous insects are fed on Fridays. The USDA requires any organic materials (dead bugs or old food) to be frozen before disposal, so I cleaned up and went on with my day.

Facts I learned: 

• Katydids make their horrendous alarm sound by rubbing their wings together. 
• Stick and leaf bugs are absolutely adorable and will stretch out their hands and wave around to find their way around.

Additional Research: 

• Tarantulas
• My favourite tarantulas on display are the Chilean Rosehair Tarantula and the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula. I just think they're both super cute and very beautiful, and after tending to their cages I really wanted to get my own! Tarantulas are fairly easy to care for, but I wanted to research more into the proper way to care for them. They can actually live up to 15-25 years, too! Price can vary depending on the species, and it is best to purchase from a breeder to get an idea of health history. Definitely avoid spiders that look hunched, and ask for the age and gender of the spider. Sometimes it is even a good idea to ask to see it eat. Generally speaking, different tarantulas will have different living situations. If they reside in a hole, then it is necessary to accommodate them! It is recommended that ground dweller tarantulas are best for beginners since they are generally slow-moving. It is also necessary to make sure that the temperature within their enclosures is right, and it should be about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit and misted daily. Tarantulas are venomous, so if they feel threatened they will bite (so they are best not to handle). The Chilean Rosehair is actually a common one to keep as a pet, especially since its size is relatively small. A tarantula will need an enclosure that mimics its habitat. The enclosure needs to be of a decent size with ventilation- size will vary depending on if the tarantula is tree-dwelling or ground-dwelling. They also need a place to hide. They should be kept out of direct sunlight, and fed at night. They also need live prey, such as crickets (which are very easy to keep), roaches, and worms. Feeding the crickets well and dusting them with vitamin powder can also help the health of your tarantula. Juvenile tarantulas will eat every day or two, while adults only eat once a week. The quantity and variety depend, but at the HMNS each adult tarantula was given 3 crickets. It is also important to note that when a tarantula is moulting, it will not eat. Providing live prey could also injure the spider, as the exoskeleton needs to harden after moulting. This is common with most animals. A water dish should also be provided, but shallow to prevent drowning.  Refreshing the enclosure (cleaning it with reptile habitat cleaner and rinse) is recommended every 4-6 months. The substrate should be vermiculite (can be mixed with peat and/or potting soil) and 2-4 inches deep. When cleaning a tarantula's cage, it is best to coax them out, rather than using your hands.