| When we talk about pets, the ones that most often | | | | plants. However, if they are deprived of food for any |
| spring to mind are dogs, cats, maybe even fish. | | | | reason, they also do eat their own dead. It is also |
| Although reptiles are slightly more uncommon as | | | | not uncommon in certain Asian cultures or parts of |
| pets, there are those amongst us that do like their | | | | Africa for humans to consume crickets as well. It is a |
| lizards and salamanders. The more commonly tamed | | | | relatively unknown but interesting fact that crickets |
| ones are tortoises or turtles, frogs and sometimes | | | | do possess an auditory sensory organ (what we |
| even spiders. If you have a pet, you have to feed it | | | | know as the ear) and this is located in their knee. |
| and the diet for this range of pets is usually | | | | Fruit flies are another common food for reptiles. Their |
| constituted of feeder insects like mealworms or | | | | mating call is also through sound created by vibrating |
| Bearded Dragon. They also consume fruit flies and | | | | their extended wings. This call is sent by the male of |
| crickets. | | | | the species. Depending on the temperature of the |
| Let's look at the cricket in a little detail. If you've | | | | surroundings, it can take anything from six to sixty |
| seen a grasshopper before, a cricket looks quite | | | | days for the fruit fly to eventually develop in to an |
| similar to it. Predominantly nocturnal creatures, you | | | | adult. |
| are most likely to come across them during night | | | | Mealworms are the next feeder insect we look at in |
| time. Live crickets are very commonly used as a | | | | details. They are the larva form of the mealworm |
| feed for most reptile pets. Live crickets also make up | | | | beetle. They typically measure around 2.5 cms. Once |
| the main feed for animals like the hedgehog or a pet | | | | the larvae hatch out from their eggs, they go |
| hamster. They are also very popular as bait for | | | | through a stage of eating everything (usually various |
| fishing and can be tied to the end of hook to attract | | | | vegetation) very quickly and grow into a pupa. They |
| fish in ponds and streams. | | | | then undergo repeated moulting. The pupa is initially a |
| If you have had a chance to hear crickets, they are | | | | creamy white colour and then changes to an |
| rather noisy and this noise is their mating call. They | | | | attractive brown. The body is segmented and |
| create this sound by flapping their forewings. Crickets | | | | generally mealworms can be quite attractive to look |
| feed on a range of food from fungi to organic | | | | at. Mealworms play an important role in our eco |
| matter. They also eat decaying plants and sprouting | | | | system for recycling organic matter. |