UNDERGROUND

CRITTERS

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 Table of Contents

Pillbug 3

Earwig 6

Centipede 9

Millipede 12

Mole Cricket 16

Wolf Spider 19

Ant 24

Earthworm 29

Mole 34

Shrew 38

It is recommended that you provide classification charts to go along with these lessons in
order to visually demonstrate the classification of animals. For free animal classification
charts send a blank email with 'Animal Classification Chart' in the subject line to
TheTeachersDesk@verizon.net.

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 Pillbug

What is the name of this arthropod?

• Pill Bug? • Wood Louse?

• Roly-poly? • Doodle Bug?
• Armadillo Bug? • Slater?
• Ball Bug? • Gribble?
• Potato Bug? • Isopod?
• Sow Bug?

The pillbug is more afraid of you than you are of it. If it is threatened, it will
simply roll up into a ball to protect itself with its hard exoskeleton. For this
reason, it is sometimes called a roly-poly. The closely related sowbug, on the
other hand, just runs away - a sowbug does not roll into a ball.

Sowbugs are oval with a flattened body. They are wingless, brown
or gray, with seven pairs of legs and overlapping "armored" plates
that make them look like little armadillos. Sowbugs have two tail-
like appendages on the rear end. Pillbugs are similar, except they
don't have these appendages and can roll up into a tight ball.

Pillbugs are found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs. Pillbugs
are nocturnal and are herbivores (plant eaters). They eat decaying wood,
leaves, and other vegetation. Because they eat rotting plants, they are usually
helpful insects but they can be pests to seedlings or crops. Pillbug predators
include birds, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, and some small mammals.

Pillbugs and sowbugs are not insects at all. Instead, they are arthropods like
crabs and lobsters. Arthropods are a group of animals that have a hard
exoskeleton, jointed legs, and a segmented body. Arthropods are
invertebrates, so they have no backbone. Most animals that live on land use
lungs to breathe. Pillbugs have no lungs. They have gills, like fish! If they get
too dry, they will die.

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 _________________________

Appearance: Is this animal a/an:

(color, size, shape; males/females different?; how does
the appearance act as camouflage Carnivore Herbivore Omnivore
_________________________________________ Is this animal a vertebrate or an invertebrate? To which
Phyla does it belong?
_________________________________________

_________________________________________ Invertebrate Vertebrate

Annelid Amphibian
Food:
(kind of food, where it finds food) Arthropod Bird
_________________________________________ Cnidarian Fish
_________________________________________ Echinoderm Mammal
_________________________________________
Mollusk Reptile
Porifera
Habitat:
(where does it live - forest, near river, etc.; type of home Other ____________________
- size, shape, color, locations; other plants and animals
that live there)
Is this animal:
____________________________________________

____________________________________________
Diurnal Nocturnal

____________________________________________ Is this animal beneficial or destructive?

Helpful Harmful
Enemies:
(who are the enemies; how does this animal protect Mostly Helpful Mostly Harmful
itself?)

____________________________________________

____________________________________________
Draw a picture of this animal in its
environment.
____________________________________________

Other Interesting Facts:

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

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 Pillbug
Trace the word that names the picture.

Pillbug Pillbug
Sowbug Sowbug
Pillbugs like: dry, sunny places damp, dark places

on warm rocks and logs under logs and rocks

Pillbugs are: carnivores herbivores omnivores

meat eaters plant eaters meat & plant eaters

Pillbugs are: nocturnal diurnal

active at night active during the day

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