Roly Poly: Backyard Crustaceans

Roly-Polies are shaped like...

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-1

Roly-Polies got their names from their adaptation of being able to protect themselves from predators by...

• stretching out and looking big.

• rolling up into a ball.

• having hard, exoskeleton plates.

• releasing a bad smelling and tasting liquid.

Answer explanation

The roly-poly, or pill bug is best known for its adaptive ability to roll themselves into a perfectly shaped ball when frightened or threatened.

This process is called conglobation. It is a defense mechanism to protect its soft underparts & retain water on its gills.

For one small bug, I have many different names.

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Answer explanation

The scientific name of most species of roly-poly is Armadillidium vulgare and officially called pill bugs.

Other fun names are as follows:

1. Cheesy-bugs or Cheeselogs (England)

2. Slaters (Scotland, New Zealand and Australia)

3. Gramersows or gramfers (Cornwall, England)

4. Butchy boys (Australia)

5. Boat-builders (Newfoundland, Canada)

6. Chisel bobs (England)

7. Woodpigs or timberpigs (England)

8. Monkey peas or peaballs (England)

9. Pishamares (England)

10. Potato bugs or tomato bugs (United States)

11. Sow bugs (United States and Canada)

12. Chuggie pigs, chuggy-pegs or chucky pigs (England)

13. Crunchy bats (England)

14. Wood bugs (Western Canada)

15. Pill bugs or roly-polies (United States)

16. Carpenters (Eastern Canada)

17. Granny greys (Wales)

18. Billy buttons (England)

19. Doodle bugs (United States)

20. Parson pigs (Isle of Man)

The 3-dimensional shape of the rolled up pillbug is called a...

• cube

• pyramid

• prism

• sphere

A similar trait to an insect, the pillbug has 3 main body parts named:

• noggin

  adams apple

  tummy

• brain

  throat

  stomach

• head

  thorax

  abdomen

• skull

  rib cage

  pelvis

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

How many pairs of legs do I have?

• 7

• 14

• 21

• 24

If you could all the way around my body, how many legs do I have total?

• 7

• 14

• 21

• 24

I have a pair of feelers that are visible and they are called...

• legs

• feelers

• antennae

• walking sticks

I have a pair of feelers that are visible and they are called...

• legs

• feelers

• antennae

• walking sticks

Even though I have compound eyes, I can only detect light. Other than that I can't really see.

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Answer explanation

I am mostly nocturnal and sleep during the day, so eyesight isn't really important to me.