Habitats, part 4: Adding Isopods to the Terrarium

We have been observing our terrarium this past week for any changes. More than half of the grass has died out, due to overcrowding, we speculated (although I thought the fact that the terrarium had a few spills might have been a contributing factor.) We also noted that some other plants are making their appearance, as you can see in the lower right-hand corner of the photo above. We also looked evidence of our earthworms we added last week. The earthworms usually only come out at night, but they often leave clues to their movements, such as tunnels which can be seen on the side of the terrarium.

source

You can also find dirt formed into squiggle-like piles, which are really piles of castings, which are often used to hide the entrance to a tunnel. I couldn't get a photo of them, so I found one that looks like them to show you.

Isopods
This week we added some pill bugs, or more appropriately called Isopods, to our terrarium. (Isn't he cute?)

student sketches of a Isopod What we learned: Isopods have: One pair of antennae (they actually have another smaller pair as well) Simple eyes Seven pairs of legs Seven separate segments they have antennae-like appendages out the back called uropods they are dark gray to light gray; sometimes they have a pattern are omnivores or scavengers feeding on dead or decaying plants or animals, but some may eat live plants they live under rocks or logs and similar places. This is because they breathe with gills. they are nocturnal. Some roll up into a ball when disturbed. We call them pill bugs because they look like pills when they roll up.

You might also want to see:

Habitats, part 1, Soil

Habitats, part 2, Building a Terrarium Habitat

Habitats, part 3, Adding Earthworms to the Terrarium

Sources:
GEMS Guide, Terrarium Habitats 

Kindergarten-6th grade
5 Activities
92 pages

These activities bring the natural world into your classroom and deepen student understanding of and connection to all living things. After an exploration of soil, students design and construct terrariums. Sow bugs, earthworms, and crickets are placed in the habitat, and students observe and record changes over time. There are detailed instructions on setting up and maintaining the terrariums, along with concise biological information on small organisms that can become terrarium inhabitants.