The Victoria Bug Zoo
Experience The Touch Of Exotic Bugs
While in Victoria, British Columbia the summer of 2011 we visited, for the second time, the Victoria Bug Zoo. This lens will discuss The Victoria Bug Zoo, and the animals there. It is a wonderful living museum that allows you to learn about the world's insect community and hold exotic bugs in your hands.
You can walk through the exhibits and see the collection of living bugs, or join a tour where the staff person conducting the tour describes each bug and allows you to hold most of them. (Children are not allowed to hold the tarantula because they would be severely injured if dropped.)
The Victoria Bug Zoo is located in downtown Victoria at 631 Courtney Street.
Thank you to the staff of the Victoria Bug Zoo for reminding me what bugs I had photographed. I have provided links to websites where I gained information about each species.
Link to The Victoria Bug Zoo
This link will take you to the Victoria Bug Zoo website.
- The Victoria Bug Zoo
The site provides location, hours of operation and price of admission.
The Mexican Red Leg tarantula
The Mexican Red Leg tarantula (Brachypelma smithi) has a black head and orange patches on the joints of its legs. The second element of the legs is orange-red. If disturbed, they will kick urticating (or irritating) hairs from their abdomens and back legs, rather than bite.
I was hesitant to place the tarantula in my hand, but I held my breath and did it.
Read More About the Mexican Redknee tarantula
- Mexican Redknee tarantula
Wikipedia provides additional information about the tarantula such as habitat, molting, behavior, and its longevity.
Expand Your Library On Trantulas
The Emperor scorpion
The Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is native to Africa. It is one of the largest scorpions in the world and can have an average length of 20 cm (7.9 inches). It lives for 5 to 8 years.
Sensory hairs cover the pincers and tail that allows the scorpion to detect prey through vibrations in the air and ground.
Additional Reading About the Emperor scorpion
- Emperor scorpion
Wikipedia provides a lengthy description about the scorpion including its habitat.
The Vinegaroon
These Arachnids are commonly known as Vinegaroons. Vinegaroons only use six legs for walking having evolved their first two legs to serve as antennae and/or sensory organs. Vinegaroons range in size from 25 to 85 mm (0.98 to 2.2 inches) in length with most species not longer than 30 mm (1.2 inches).
Read More About The Vinegaroon
- Vinegaroon
Wikipedia provides a physical description and discusses the Vinegaroon's habitat.
Centipede
Centipedes are Arthropods, which are invertebrate animals (no vertebral column) with an external skeleton. Despite the name, Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of legs (15 or 17 pairs of legs, but never 16 pairs).
Some centipedes can be hazardous to people because of their bite. Although not fatal in adults, the bites can be quite painful and be accompanied by swelling. The bites can be more dangerous to children or people with allergies.
Read More About The Centipede
- Centipede
Wikipedia provides a detailed description and discusses the Centipede's life cycle.
Hissing Cockroach
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inches) when fully grown.
The Madagascar Cockroach hisses by forcing gas through their breathing pores found on each segment of their thorax and abdomen. The hiss can take three forms: The disturbance hiss, the female attracting hiss, and the fighting hiss (only used by males).
The Madagascar Cockroach is sometimes kept as an exotic pet. Some states in the USA require a permit to keep them.
As much as I hate normal size cockroaches I had no problem petting this one.
Read More About the Hissing Cockroach
- Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Wikipedia describes the cockroach and discusses the hissing and their care as pets.
Leaf Insect
Leaf insects use camouflage to take on the appearance of a leaf. When it walks it rocks back and forth to mimic a leaf blowing in the wind. They occur in South Asia, and SE Asia to Australia.
This was one of my favorites. It was wonderful to see the camouflage on its wings.
Find Out More About Leaf Insects
- Leaf Insects
Wikipedia provides a description of their characteristics and photographs.
Thorny Devil
The Thorny Devil, also called the New Guinea Spiny Stick (Eurycantha calcarata) looks more like a branch than a twig. Females reach lengths of 11 to 15 cm (4.3 to 6 inches). Males grow to a length of 11 cm (4.3 inches). Unlike other stick insects, the Thorny Devil lives on the ground and not in trees or bushes.
Read More About The Thorny Devil
- New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect
This link to keepinginsects.com provides a description of the New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect's appearance and behavior.
Proscopia sp. (Muppet Hopper)
Proscopia are long and slender stick grasshoppers. Most are brown and have eyes high up on the head near the antennas. Males grow to about 9 cm (3.5 inches). Females reach 14 - 15 cm (5.5 to 6 inches).
Holding the Proscopia was amazing. It was so light that you could hardly feel it in your hand.
Find Out More About the Muppet Hopper
- Muppet Hopper
Mantisonline.de provides a description of the Muppet Hopper and gives details about keeping and breeding them.
Malaysian Giant Katydid
The Malaysian Giant Katydid (Macrolyristes sp.), also called the Giant Bush Cricket is the largest species of Katydid in the world. Katydids are related to grasshoppers but they have longer antennae and their wings have a leaf like appearance.
This was my other favorite bug during the tour. I loved how nature had evolved this Katydid to look like a leaf.
Find Out More About The Malaysian Giant Katydid
- Malaysian Giant Katydid
The Houston Museum of Natural Science website provides a description and photograph of the Malaysian Giant Katydid.
The Ultimate Experience
At the close of the tour I got to put a millipede on my upper lip for a mustache, so when my picture was taken, no one would recognize me. It felt like a thousand suction cups on my upper lip.