Creepy Critters - cdn.environment.sa.gov.au

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1 spiritual connection and the relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country. The Department works in partnership with the First Peoples of South Australia and supports their Nations to take a leading role in caring for their Country. January/February 2021 | Volume 1 – Issue 6 Creepy Critters Minibeasts are scientifically known as invertebrates. Invertebrates are animals without a backbone or an internal skeleton. There are many different kinds of invertebrates. They live all around us in many different habitats, many would live in your own backyard. There are more invertebrates on earth than any other type of animal. Let’s find out more about the invertebrate group of arthropods. What are Minibeasts? Inside this issue What are minibeasts? ............ 1 Amazing Arthropods.............. 2 Cross Word ................................ 3 How many legs does an insect have? ............................... 4 Scorpions don't have bones! ........................................................ 5 Is it a leaf? Is it an Insect?..... 5 Colour in page.......................... 6 Threatened Invertebrates ..... 7 FUN FACT Insects are the only invertebrates with wings! Acknowledgement to country The Department for Environment and Water acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Nations of the lands and waters we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the deep Above Photo credits: Monarch butterfly, Caterpillar, Flinders Rangers scorpion, Debbie the Orb spider, European honey bee, Earthworm and Orchard Swallowtail butterfly taken by Cleland Wildlife Park - Snail photo credit Alex Raths ( Gettyimages/istockphoto).

Transcript of Creepy Critters - cdn.environment.sa.gov.au

Page 1: Creepy Critters - cdn.environment.sa.gov.au

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spiritual connection and the relationship

that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

people have to Country.

The Department works in partnership

with the First Peoples of South Australia

and supports their Nations to take a

leading role in caring for their Country.

January/February 2021 | Volume 1 – Issue 6

Creepy Critters

Minibeasts are scientifically known

as invertebrates. Invertebrates are

animals without a backbone or an

internal skeleton.

There are many different kinds of

invertebrates. They live all around

us in many different habitats,

many would live in your own

backyard.

There are more invertebrates on

earth than any other type of animal.

Let’s find out more about the

invertebrate group of arthropods.

What are Minibeasts?

Inside this issue

What are minibeasts? ............ 1

Amazing Arthropods.............. 2

Cross Word ................................ 3

How many legs does an

insect have? ............................... 4

Scorpions don't have bones!

........................................................ 5

Is it a leaf? Is it an Insect? ..... 5

Colour in page .......................... 6

Threatened Invertebrates ..... 7

FUN FACT

Insects are the only

invertebrates with

wings!

Acknowledgement to country

The Department for Environment and

Water acknowledges Aboriginal people

as the First Peoples and Nations of the

lands and waters we live and work upon

and we pay our respects to their Elders

past, present and emerging. We

acknowledge and respect the deep

Above Photo credits: Monarch butterfly, Caterpillar, Flinders Rangers scorpion, Debbie the

Orb spider, European honey bee, Earthworm and Orchard Swallowtail butterfly taken by

Cleland Wildlife Park - Snail photo credit Alex Raths ( Gettyimages/istockphoto).

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Amazing Arthropods

Arthropods make up the largest phylum (group) in the animal kingdom.

Arthropods are divided into four main groups:

1. Insects 2. Arachnids

Such as- Such as-

Ants Scorpions

Aphids Ticks and mites

Beetles Spiders

Butterflies

Cicadas

Cockroaches 3. Crustaceans

Dragonflies such as -

Termites Barnacles

Grasshoppers Crayfish

Flies Crabs

Praying mantis Horseshoe crab

Krill

Shrimp

Lobsters

4. Myriapoda Such as -

Millipedes

Centipedes

They have three main characteristics:

1. They have a hard outside covering, like armour to protect itself called ‘an

exoskeleton.’

2. They have a segmented body, which means they have a body made up of

more than one part.

3. Arthropods also have many jointed legs.

All invertebrate photo credit to: Ken Sanderson

Blue Crab photo credit to RGBStock https://www.rgbstock.com/photo/2dQMjxG/Bl

ue+Crab

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S N M K S J Q I D N A Y S J F D G S M G

G P O F L R M D W V D I K W Y R N S W X

P U I I O M R O W H T R A E I A D N D S

W W L D P Z A N H N R D U V I G C A B O

W H X S E R P G A S B C R L B O J V L O

A U X N E R O M I M L U T Z Z N B A F T

E Y W H R P G C W Q L B T O Q F S Q Y I

M G D F K N P B S Y E T Z T T L E W M U

H R A C I C O C K R O A C H E Y I C M Q

P D U Y J P Q L L L B K V S R R N Z M S

T K A C Z P F U W J Z J O Q D J F I P O

D R X B S F R X B B V N B U P S L L W M

M Z M W H Q H D N D N M M D I R H G A D

A I J L G K C W J Y X H Q P E W K B U F

X F M Z Q H A M A W I Q E T L W L X D W

R Y E N T B B M K O E D S N G K V V M I

J P M W L S E V V C E B T C D V U P D U

L I Z L B Y Z A U M O K U S H Q P C C P

S W R K Y L K E Y L Q H G V C D N W P Z

BUTTERFLY

COCKROACH

CRAB

DRAGONFLY

EARTHWORM

INSECT

LOBSTER

MILLIPEDE

MOSQUITO

PRAYING MANTIS

SCORPION

SLUG

SNAIL

SPIDER

SQUID

Invertebrates Can you find them all?

What am I?

I can fly.

I’m can be an

annoying insect which

bites.

I’m not a vampire but I

do suck your blood.

You often hear me

buzzing about at

night.

What am I?

________________________

__

True or False

Insects have 6 legs?

T/F

JUMBLE WORD

UTTBREFYL

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

MEDLLIIPE

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

PISDER

_ _ _ _ _ _

Did you know?

Some caterpillars can

have up to 12 eyes!

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Photo credit: Amber Everett-

A female red- winged stick insect. Can you count her legs?

Photo Credit of insect body parts: JMG Junior

Master Gardener.

Did you know? Grasshoppers can jump

around 1 meter in length.

That’s like us jumping

about the length of a

football field, in one

bound!

How many legs does an

insect have? Insects are arthropods.

Insects have:

3 body segments- head thorax and abdomen.

6 (jointed) legs and a pair of antennae.

Animals such as flies, butterflies, termites, ants,

crickets, stick insects moths and many more are

all insects.

Did you know?

The female red-winged

stick insect can have

eggs without a male!

Did you know?

Entomology is the

study of insects.

Photo Credit: Taken by Ken

Sanderson

Can you see the stick insect?

Stick Insects

There are many species of stick insects.

Some species of stick insects sway from side to side

when they are walking, so that they look like a twig

or a leaf blowing in the breeze. This can protect

them from predators like birds.

If you're lucky enough to spot a stick insect, don't

try to pull it from its branch or it might drop one of

its legs. But certainly look with your eyes.

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Scorpions don’t have bones!

Scorpions are Arachnids.

They don’t have bones like you and me.

Instead, they have a tough exoskeleton made

of chitin (like armor).

Scorpions have eight legs like spiders, mites

and ticks.

Scorpions don’t only use their stings to kill

their prey – they use it to defend themselves

against predators, such as snakes, lizards and

birds.

When there isn’t much food around, scorpions can slow down their metabolism (the process animals use to get energy from food) so much so that they are able to live off just

one insect per year!

Photo credit to Cleland Wildlife Park

Is it a leaf? Is it an insect?

I can’t tell!

A Spiny leaf insect is indeed an insect, they have 3 body

parts and 6 legs. Did you know these cool insects only eat

eucalyptus leaves and they look like one too. Camouflage

is their best trick to survival.

Fun Fact: Spiny leaf insect eggs look like a pepper corn. They have

a small knob called the ‘capitulum,’ which redheaded

ants eat.

The ants will carry the leaf insects eggs back to their

burrow, eat the capitulum and leave the egg protected in

the burrow.

After the egg hatches, the young spiny leaf insect looks

like an ant, which allows them to leave the ant burrow

safely. Until it finds a nice tree to climb and live its life.

Photo credit to Cleland Wildlife Park

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Did you know?

Arthropods shed their skin, as they

grow bigger.

COLOUR ME IN: Make a pattern with colours if you dare!

Sourced from and page credit: https://www.justcolor.net/kids/coloring-pages-of-animals/insects/

Do you know?

xxxxxx

Did you know?

Butterflies

taste with

their feet.

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Invertebrates are very

important because they

help to pollinate plants, recycle

waste material, and provide

food for other creatures such

as birds and reptiles and much, much

more.

Be kind and appreciate them!

Cleland News

Bush Buddies: For 2-4 year olds

Term 1 1st Feb –

March 30th 2021.

Mon/Tues/Fri

$8 per session

Mini beast of

Cleland:

Want to find out

more and interact

with the wonderful

world of

invertebrates.

Available Tuesday to

Saturday 1:30pm.

$20

For all ages

Glenelg Crayfish

(Euastacus

bispinosus)

Diet: Both plant and meat, such as

insects, decaying matter, fungi and

bacteria.

Habitat: Southern flowing freshwater

streams and rivers

This species is at threat due to:

Invasive species (cane toads and

other crayfish)

Loss of vegetation (river banks)

Climate change

SA status: Critically endangered

ICUN (Global) status: Vulnerable

Do you know? One dung beetle can

drag 1,141 times its

weight – that’s like a

human pulling six

double-decker buses!

Photo credit: David Haintz (iNaturalist Australia website)

Did you know? Some Scorpions can

glow under ultraviolet

lighting.