Warning for Squeamish: Going Buggy! (P*S*C #3)

"What?? You've got to be kidding!" was my response when friend Marti told me that if we were in Victoria, we HAD to go to the Victoria Bug Zoo! Her parents had gone there and said it was their favorite place in all of Victoria...and they are pretty cool, happenin' people! So, map in hand, Wes and I set out to find this place and we ended up enjoying the zoo, too. Many things were learned there such as: insects having longer antennaes means their vision is poor, bug taste buds are often in their feet, and ears are in their knees! The zoo guides took us through all sorts of habitats and encouraged the visitors to have a hands-on approach themselves. In fact, we ended up going back a second time and I really don't even like bugs!

My personal favorite bug in the zoo: the pretty Malaysian Orchid Mantis who mimics an orchid flower.

Wes is holding the millipede. If this would be a bug beauty pageant, this one would win in the Miss Congenialty department. She let onlookers wear her as a bracelet, a "unibrow" and even as a moustache!

Check out the Thorny Devil. Enough said.

This green bug blends in well with green vegetation and is called the Australian Stick Insect. About six inches long and I was happy to look through the glass at this one!

Here I am holding the Great Green Bush Cricket. She's actually a Katydid with taste buds on her feet. She was pretty nice.

Here Wes holds a friendly tarantula.We learned that this spider is really not all that poisonous when compared to a centipede. And it gives you many warning signs before biting you:

1. First, it will try to run away and hide.

2. If you persist in the pursuit, it will raise up and shake legs at you and expose its fangs.

3. Still threatening it? This spider will eject its hairs towards you and is capable of 6 feet

range propelling of hairs!

Stick Bug, anyone?

To the left: the Atlas Beetle. This dude has three horn-like jaw appendages. Why? So he can carry a rather large log to the female who then lays her eggs in the log. Hey...you never know what you'll need to entice a "lady." And, in the same family, the Hercules Beetle. This one has but one spiky horn appendage.

And it obviously likes oranges.

Presenting the...er...ah...lovely

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. This little (not really at 2 - 3 inches in length) bugger comes from Africa and really does hiss to mimic a snake!

We didn't hold this one; our guide Eleanor did. The most interesting fact I learned about cockroaches was that they are capable of living for three weeks with head missing for the sole purpose of mating. I also think this is the little bug starring in the current movie, WALL-E.

So, here you have it, folks. Were you creeped out by this post? I hope Marti's parents can relive their happy memories with this one! We never knew bugs could be so interesting and b-i-g.