Posted by:
lele
at Wed Dec 7 16:02:31 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by lele ]
OK, not that you asked, but here is a cool little science lesson on caterpillars. If you look at their feet, you will see the first set, which are near their mouthparts, of 3 pair small and "pointy." These are the true legs, which they will retain as adult moths (or butterflies). The set of 4 in the middle of their bodies and the single set at the very rear are called "prolegs" and are lost during metamorphosis. The true set are used for grasping food as well as directing silk from the spinnerets when creating cocoon (which in the case of hornworms they don't, but silkies do) or to create silken pad to secure them for molting. The prolegs are used for grasping the branch. They have hairs on their prolegs and have a grip that is amazingly strong! I have had 5” long cecropia cats on a finger or branch and have to really work to get them off! Sometimes I’ll get 2 pair off and while working on the other two the first two latch on again! Lol! They work similarly to velcro. The more you handle these creatures there are some tricks to removing them, but always have to be gentle – yet firm! Here are a couple of close-ups (not hornworms – cecropia and polyphemus)
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet
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velcro feet - lele, Wed Dec 7 16:02:31 2005