Citric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but it is most concentrated in lemons and limes, where it can comprise as much as 8% of the dry weight of the fruit.

The bromothymol blue acts as a weak acid in solution and therefore can be in acid or base forms which appear yellow and blue respectively. It is green in neutral solution. Bromothymol blue is typically sold in solid form as the sodium salt of the acid indicator. It also finds occasional use in the laboratory as a biological slide stain. At this point it is already blue, and a drop or two is used on a water slide. The coverslip is placed ontop of the water droplet and the specimen in it, with the blue coloring mixed in. It is sometimes used to define cell walls or nuclei under the microscope.

Bromothymol blue is mostly used in measuring substances that would have relatively low acidic or basic levels (near a neutral pH). It's often used in pools, fish tanks, or measuring the presence of carbonic acid in a liquid.

It has a strong, though apparently non-covalent affinity to cellulose fibres. However, the use of congo red in the cellulose industries (cotton textile, wood pulp & paper) has long been abandoned, mainly because of its toxicity.

Due to a color change from blue to red at pH 3.0-5.2, congo red can be used as a pH indicator. Since this color change is an approximate inverse of that of litmus, it can be used with litmus paper in a simple parlor trick: add a drop or two of congo red to both an acid solution and a base solution. Dipping red litmus paper in the red solution will turn it blue, while dipping blue litmus paper in the blue solution will turn it red.

Congo red has a propensity to aggregate in aqueous and organic solutions. The proposed mechanisms suggest hydrophobic interactions between the aromatic rings of the dye molecules, leading to a pi-pi stacking phenomenon. Although these aggregates are present under various sizes and shapes, the "ribbon-like micelles" of a few molecules seem to be the predominant form (even if the "micelle" term is not totally appropriate here). This aggregation phenomenon is more important for high congo red concentrations, at high salinity and/or low pH.

At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in water.

Methylene blue should not be confused with methyl blue, another histology stain, or with the methyl violets often used as pH indicators.

Phenol red exhibits a gradual transition from yellow to red over the pH range 6.6 to 8.0. Above pH 8.1, phenol red turns a bright pink (fuschia) color.

Several indicators share a similar structure to phenol red, including bromothymol blue, thymol blue, bromocresol purple, thymolphthalein, and phenolphthalein.

Often used in titrations, it turns from colorless in acidic solutions to pink in basic solutions. If the concentration of indicator is particularly strong, it can appear purple.

In strongly basic solutions, phenolphthalein's pink color undergoes a rather slow fading reaction and becomes colorless again.

The Full Option Science System is a research-based science curriculum for grades K–8 developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley.

FOSS is also an ongoing research project dedicated to improving the learning and teaching of science. The FOSS project began over 20 years ago during a time of growing concern that our nation was not providing young students with an adequate science education.

Don't just open books. Open minds.

The FOSS program materials are designed to meet the challenge of providing meaningful science education for all students in diverse American classrooms and to prepare them for life in the 21st century. Development of the FOSS program was, and continues to be, guided by advances in the understanding of how youngsters think and learn.

Science is an active enterprise, made active by our human capacity to think. Scientific knowledge advances when scientists observe objects and events, think about how they relate to what is known, test their ideas in logical ways, and generate explanations that integrate the new information into the established order. Thus the scientific enterprise is both what we know (content) and how we come to know it (process).

The best way for students to appreciate the scientific enterprise, learn important scientific concepts, and develop the ability to think critically is to actively construct ideas through their own inquiries, investigations, and analyses. The FOSS program was created to engage students in these processes as they explore the natural world.

Students observe life cycles of insects and compare the stages of metamorphosis exhibited by each species.

Grades 1-2

Please note we do NOT offer the manuals or books with our kits, just the replenishment parts.

Students observe, compare, categorize, and care for a selection of organisms, and in so doing they learn to identify properties of plants and animals and to sort and group organisms on the basis of observable properties.

Students investigate structures of the organisms and learn how some of the structures function in growth and survival.

Grades 3

Please note we do NOT offer the manuals or books with our kits, just the replenishment parts.

Such knowledge is important because humans can change environments. To do so without awareness of possible consequences can lead to disasters. The Environments module consists of six investigations that introduce students to these basic concepts in environmental biology.

Grades 4   

Please note we do NOT offer the manuals or books with our kits, just the replenishment parts.

Students observe and care for one animal over time, and then they are introduced to another animal similar to the first but with differences in structure and behavior. This process enhances opportunities for observation, communication, and comparison.

Animals Two By Two Kit (Kindergarten)

Please note we do NOT offer the manuals or books with our kits, just the replenishment parts.

Bomex beakers are made from quality borosilicate glass. As an import, it is less expensive than Corning-made Pyrex.

Automatic Egg Turner (110 V)

Features motorized egg turner, large egg cups and egg rails.  Safely turns egg to exercise the embryo.  Reduces egg handling. 

Fits in the still air incubator and the circulated air incubator. Incubator not included.

Turkey and duck eggs will not fit in the automatic Egg turner.

Circulated Air Fan Kit

Converts the Still Air Incubator to a circulated air Incubator.  Helps improve hatch conditions by circulating a constant flow of warm air.

Circulated Air Incubator with Fan Kit

Features fully-installed Circulated Air Fan Kit to help keep temperature uniform inside the incubator.

Features two 4-inch by 8-inch viewing windows.  Comes complete with thermometer, solid state thermostat, and built-in moisture rings in the base of the incubator.  Approximate capacity is 46 chicken eggs, 118 quail eggs, 90 pheasant eggs, 40 turkey or duck eggs.

Due to different hatching requirements, it is recommended that you hatch only one species of egg per hatch.  For example, it is not recommended that you attempt to hatch chicken and quail eggs at the same time in the same incubator.

These incubators are intended for general poultry hobbyists and are not recommended for professional or commercial use or for incubation of exotic birds.

Still Air Incubator w/Electric Control

Features two 4-inch by 8-inch viewing windows. 

Comes complete with thermometer, solid state thermostat, and built-in moisture rings in the base of the incubator.  Approximate capacity is 46 chicken eggs, 118 quail eggs, 90 pheasant eggs, 40 turkey or duck eggs.

Due to different hatching requirements, it is recommended that you hatch only one species of egg per hatch.  For example, it is not recommended that you attempt to hatch chicken and quail eggs at the same time in the same incubator.

These incubators are intended for general poultry hobbyists and are not recommended for professional or commercial use or for incubation of exotic birds.

Cabinet is constructed from select oak and oak veneers with an acrylic finish. The unit features unbreakable aluminum sliding door glides and lock. 1-1/4" HP laminate top has a stainless steel sink, hand pump and two rod sockets.

Unit also includes full upright set, GFI protected AC duplex electrical outlet, 25' extension cord, two water bottles with connecting hoses and 4" ball bearing swivel casters which lock.

Dimensions: 48"W x 24"D x 36"H
Cubes: 32
Weight: 185

Cabinet is constructed from select oak and oak veneers with an acrylic finish. The unit features unbreakable aluminum sliding door glides and lock. 1-1/4" HP laminate top with drop leaf extensions has a stainless steel sink, hand pump and two rod sockets.

Unit also includes full upright set, GFI protected AC duplex electrical outlet, 25' extension cord, two water bottles with connecting hoses and 4" ball bearing swivel casters which lock.

Dimensions: 48"W x 24"D x 36"H
Cubes: 32
Weight: 230

A self contained demonstration center with its own water supply, waste container, stainless steel sink and hand pump, GFI protected AC duplex electrical receptacle, 25' extension cord and full upright set. The unit includes four drawers which are dovetailed and mounted on epoxy coated glides.

Sliding doors with a lock conceal the four drawers and storage compartment for large equipment and the water bottles which are supplied. Unit has a 1-1/4" ChemGuard top and rolls easily on 4" swivel casters with brakes.

Dimensions: 48"W x 28"D x 36"H
Cubes: 36
Weight: 215

A safe, convenient way to store and share your microscopes. Constructed of solid oak and oak veneers with front and back swinging doors. The unit contains removable dividers to provide an individual space for each microscope.

Designed to hold 24 standard classroom microscopes the space allotted is 6" x 11" x 16". The unit features a 1-1/4" HP laminate top and 4" ball bearing, locking, swivel casters.

Dimensions: 48"W x 24"D x 40"H
Cubes: 21
Weight: 202

Legs and aprons are constructed of solid red oak and are smoothly machined and finished with acrylic finish. Book compartment aprons are constructed of solid oak and are 13/16"D x 4-1/2"H with heavy-duty 13 gauge steel corner braces. Book compartments measure 14-1/4"W x 3-7/8"H x 12-3/4"D. 2-1/4" square oak legs with 5/16" hanger bolts installed are attached to apron with nuts and washers supplied.

All tables are equipped with non-skid adjustable glides for precise leveling and rubber leg boots. Tops are screwed to the tables at the factory.

Top: ChemArmor 
Apron: Plain
Dimensions: 24x54
Cubes: 6.8
Weight: 123

Legs and aprons are constructed of solid red oak and are smoothly machined and finished with acrylic finish. Book compartment aprons are constructed of solid oak and are 13/16"D x 4-1/2"H with heavy-duty 13 gauge steel corner braces.

Book compartments measure 14-1/4"W x 3-7/8"H x 12-3/4"D. 2-1/4" square oak legs with 5/16" hanger bolts installed are attached to apron with nuts and washers supplied. All tables are equipped with non-skid adjustable glides for precise leveling and rubber leg boots. Tops are screwed to the tables at the factory.

Top: 1 inch Epoxy Resin
Apron: Plain
Dimensions: 24x54
Cubes: 6.8
Weight: 123

Legs and aprons are constructed of solid red oak and are smoothly machined and finished with acrylic finish. Book compartment aprons are constructed of solid oak and are 13/16"D x 4-1/2"H with heavy-duty 13 gauge steel corner braces. Book compartments measure 14-1/4"W x 3-7/8"H x 12-3/4"D. 2-1/4" square oak legs with 5/16" hanger bolts installed are attached to apron with nuts and washers supplied.

All tables are equipped with non-skid adjustable glides for precise leveling and rubber leg boots. Tops are screwed to the tables at the factory.

Top: ChemArmor
Apron: Plain
Dimensions: 24x60
Cubes: 6
Weight: 88

Legs and aprons are constructed of solid red oak and are smoothly machined and finished with acrylic finish. Book compartment aprons are constructed of solid oak and are 13/16"D x 4-1/2"H with heavy-duty 13 gauge steel corner braces. Book compartments measure 14-1/4"W x 3-7/8"H x 12-3/4"D. 2-1/4" square oak legs with 5/16" hanger bolts installed are attached to apron with nuts and washers supplied.

All tables are equipped with non-skid adjustable glides for precise leveling and rubber leg boots. Tops are screwed to the tables at the factory.

Top: 1 inch Epoxy Resin
Apron: Plain
Dimensions: 24x60
Cubes: 6
Weight: 137

Immersion Oil contributes to two characteristics of the image viewed through the microscope: finer resolution and brightness.

These characteristics are most critical under high magnification; so it is only the higher power, short focus, objectives that are usually designed for oil immersion.

Anabaena is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, found as plankton. It is known for its nitrogen fixing abilities, and they form symbiotic relationships with certain plants, such as the mosquito fern.

They are one of four genera of cyanobacteria that produce neurotoxins, which are harmful to local wildlife, as well as farm animals and pets.

Gloeocapsa is a genus of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in which a number of usually spherical cells are enclosed in a thick sheath of mucilage.

Cells form new mucilaginous sheaths and as they divide, the mucilage of the whole colony usually becomes multiply lamellate. Such sheaths within sheaths are more conspicuous in some species than in others, and those species in which the sheaths are scarcely lamellate have been separated off into a separate genus, Gloeocapsopsis.

Nostoc is a genus of fresh water cyanobacteria that forms spherical colonies composed of filaments of moniliform cells in a gelatinous sheath. When on the ground, a Nostoc colony is ordinarily not seen; but after a rain it swells up into a conspicuous jellylike mass, which was once thought to have fallen from the sky, whence the popular names, fallen star and star jelly. It is also called witches' butter.

It can be found on moist rocks, at the bottom of lakes and springs, and rarely in marine habitats. These bacteria sometimes contain photosynthetic pigments in their cytoplasm to perform photosynthesis. It may also grow symbiotically within the tissues of plants, such as the aquatic fern Azolla (mosquito fern) or hornworts, providing nitrogen to its host.

Diatoms are a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although some form chains or simple colonies. A characteristic feature of diatom cells is that they are encased within a unique cell wall made of silica.

These walls show a wide diversity in form, some quite beautiful and ornate, but usually consist of two symmetrical sides with a split between them, hence the group name.

The Dinophyceae are the main class of dinoflagellates. They include all species where the nucleus remains a dinokaryon throughout the entire cell cycle, which is typically dominated by the haploid stage. All the "typical" dinoflagellates, such as Peridinium and Gymnodinium, belong here. Others are more unusual, including some that are colonial, amoeboid, or parasitic.

Dinoflagellates are classified by morphology. Species with a theca are divided into four orders, based on the arrangement of the armor plates:

• Peridiniales - e.g. Peridinium
• Gonyaulacales - e.g. Ceratium, Gonyaulax
• Dinophysiales - e.g. Dinophysis
• Prorocentrales - e.g. Prorocentrum

The Peridiniales are probably paraphyletic to the others, and on rRNA trees they are mixed with the species that lack thecae. The other three orders are probably monophyletic, with the Dinophysiales and Prorocentrales as close relatives, united by the presence of a saggital suture dividing the theca in two. However, on rRNA trees the Prorocentrales are split up.

They are unique in having a whorl of small branchlets at each node in the stipe. Its antheridia and oogonia are protected by a layer of sterile cells when mature, and have the most complex structure of all green algae.

Chlorella is a genus of single-celled green algae, belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta. It is spherical in shape, about 2 to 10 μm in diameter, and is without flagella. Chlorella contains the green photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll-a and -b in its chloroplast. It depends on photosynthesis for growth and multiplies rapidly, requiring only carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and a small amount of minerals.

Chlorella has been researched as a potential food because it is high in protein and other essential nutrients. When dried, it is about 45 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 20 percent carbohydrate, and 10 percent various minerals and vitamins. However, because it is a single-celled alga, harvest had posed practical difficulties for its large-scale use as a food source. Methods of mass production are now being used to cultivate it in large artificial circular ponds.

Desmids are the Desmidiales class of green algae, comprise around 40 genera and more than 10000 species, found mostly but not exclusively in freshwater. Most are unicellular, and are divided into two compartments separated by a narrow bridge or isthmus.

Desmids assume a variety of highly symmetrical and generally attractive shapes, which provide the basis for their classification. Each has a single chloroplast, and no flagella.

Gonium are colonial flagellates.  The colony measures about 90 microns across. Colonies have 4, 6, 8, 16, or 32 cells.   Shown is a 16 cell colony.  Individual cells resemble Chlamydomonas as each cell has two flagella, an eye spot and a chloroplast.

Gonium make food from sunlight, favor water with high organic content and are readily available from science supply companies.

The water net (genus Hydrodictyon) is a taxon of green algae of the family Hydrodictyaceae. Its name water net comes from its shape, which looks like a netlike hollow sack. It can grow up to several tens of cm.

Hydrodictyon like clean, eutrophic water and has become a pest in New Zealand, where it has been recently introduced. The Water Net gets its name from the large (usually pentagonal or hexagonal) mesh that they form.

Micrasterias is a genus whose members are considered placoderm desmids, those that feature a cell wall composed of two sections that attach in the mid-region. This type of desmid is also characteristically furnished with pores, spines, granules, or other protuberances.

Contrariwise, saccoderm desmids typically possess a smooth, unornamented cell wall that consists of a single piece. As placoderm desmids, the more than 40 known species of Micrasterias exhibit a substantial amount of diversity in the adornment of their lobed, disclike shapes, and many are among the most picturesque microscopic life forms in the world. Most often found in acidic waters and bogs, the organisms may grow between 80 to 200 micrometers in diameter.

Oedogonium is a genus of filamentous green algae. Filamentous means the all the cells are in the same plane. Reproduces in 2 ways- sexually and asexually. Reproduces sexually through syngamy.

The anthridia which produces sperm and the oogonium which produces the egg, release the sperm and egg. The egg and sperm then fuse and form a zygote (2n). The zygote then produces the filamentous green algae which is haploid (1n). The oedogonium can also produce asexually through zoospores. These separate from the parent plant through the zoosporangium and continue to divide producing the filamentous green algae. Oedogium is usually freefloating when mature though it can be attached to plants. Lives in quiet, fresh water.

Pandorina is a genus of green alga composed of 8, 16, or sometimes 32 cells, held together at their bases to form a globular colony surrounded by mucilage. The cells are ovoid or slightly narrowed at one end to appear keystone- or pear-shaped. Each cell has two flagella with two contractile vacuoles at their base, an eyespot, and a large cup-shaped chloroplast with at least one pyrenoid.

The colonies coordinate their flagellar movement to create a rolling, swimming motion. Pandorina shows the beginnings of the colony polarity and differentiation seen in Volvox since the anterior cells have larger eyespots. Molecular sequencing has shown that pandorina is monophyletic.

The structure of the single-celled alga Protococcus is similar in some ways to a plant cell. Algal cells, like those in plants, have a nucleus and a stiff cell wall made of cellulose. Floating in the cell's cytoplasm is a chloroplast, which contains chlorophyll. The chlorophyll uses energy from sunlight to make food from carbon dioxide and water. Colonies of these algae cells form green scum on ponds and moist rocks.

Spirogyra is a genus of filamentous green alga of the order Zygnematales. It is commonly found in freshwater areas. Spirogyra is a photosynthetic, eukaryotic cell. Spirals of chloroplast surround the vacuole, within which the nucleus is supported by cytoplasmic strands.

In a remarkable example of conjugation, Spirogyra reproduces sexually by exchanging DNA between cells. Certain filaments in a loose parallel bundle of Spirogyra assume the female role, and others the male. The cells of adjacent filaments develop tubular extensions which grow towards one another and eventually fuse to form a continuous tube between the cells. Meanwhile the contents of each cell have formed a round sphere. The spheres from the male filament squeeze their way down the connecting tubes to fuse with a sphere of the female cell in the other filament. The result of this sexual union is the formation of a zygote (zygospore) within the chambers of the female filament. After a dormant period, the zygotes undergo meiosis and germinate, resulting in new filaments.

Volvox is one of the best-known genera of green algae (chlorophytes) and is the most developed in a series of genera that form spherical colonies. Each Volvox is compsed of numerous biflagellate cells similar to Chlamydomonas, on the order of 1000 in total, interconnected and arranged in a hollow sphere (coenobium). The cells swim in coordinated fashion, with a distinct anterior and posterior - or since Volvox resembles a little planet, a 'north and south' pole. The cells have eyespots, more developed near the anterior, which enables the colony to swim towards light.

An asexual colony includes both somatic or vegetative cells, which do not reproduce, and gonidia near the posterior, which produce new colonies through repeated division. These daughter colonies are initially held within the parent and have their flagella directed inwards. Later, the parent disintegrates and the daughters invert. In sexual reproduction two types of gametes are produced. Male colonies release numerous microgametes or sperm, while in female colonies single cells enlarge to become oogametes or eggs.

The red algae are a large group of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds. Most of the coralline algae, which secrete calcium carbonate and play a major role in building coral reefs, belong here.

Red algae such as dulse and nori are a traditional part of European and Asian cuisine and are used to make certain other products like agar and food additives.

Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. The term "bacteria" has variously applied to all prokaryotes or to a major group of them, otherwise called the eubacteria, depending on ideas about their relationships. Here, bacteria is used specifically to refer to the eubacteria. Another major group of bacteria (used in the broadest, non-taxonomic sense) are the Archaea. The study of bacteria is known as bacteriology, a subfield of microbiology.

We have plates available also for $9.95, please call for availability.

Most notable are the plasmodial slime moulds or myxogastrids (also known as acellular or true slime moulds), where the feeding stage takes the form of a giant amoeba with thousands of nuclei, called a plasmodium. It is not divided by cell membranes, but rather is enclosed by a single outer one, and is thus like a single large cell. Most are smaller than a few centimeters, but the very largest reach areas of up to two square meters, making them the largest undivided cells known. Many have bright colors such as yellow, brown, and white. Under dry conditions they may form resting structures called sclerotia. Once produced, spores release biflagellate or amoeboid gametes, which fuse pairwise to produce new plasmodia.

Amazing News
In 2006, researchers at the University of Southampton and the University of Kobe reported that they had built a six-legged robot whose movement was remotely controlled by a Physarum slime mold. The mold directed the robot into a dark corner most similar to its natural habitat.

Earthworm is the common name for the larger members of the Oligochaeta (which is either a class or subclass depending on the author) in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening to the outside of body posterior to the female pores, even though the male segments are anterior to the female. Cladistic studies have supported placing them instead in the suborder Lumbricina of the order Haplotaxida. Folk names for earthworm include "dew-worm", "night crawler" and "angleworm".

Earthworms are also called megadriles (or big worms), as opposed to the microdriles, which include the families Tubificidae, Lumbriculidae, and Enchytraeidae, among others. The megadriles are characterized by having a multilayered clitellum (which is much more obvious than the single-layered one of the microdriles), a vascular system with true capillaries, and male pores behind the female pores.

Leeches are annelids comprising the subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater, terrestrial and marine leeches. Like their near relatives, the Oligochaeta, they share the presence of a clitellum. Like earthworms, leeches are hermaphrodites. The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, which is native to Europe, and its congeners have been used for clinical bloodletting for thousands of years.

All leech species are carnivorous. Some are predatory, feeding on a variety of invertebrates such as worms, snails, insect larvae, crustaceans, while a very few are haemophagic parasitic blood-sucking leeches, feeding on the blood of vertebrates such as amphibians (frogs,reptiles etc.), waterfowl, fish, and mammals. Given the opportunity, they will also feed on human blood. The most important predators on leeches are fish, aquatic insects, crayfish and other leeches specialized for predation on leeches.

Ecologically, it is important as a source of food for leeches, crustaceans, insects, and fishes. In a freeze dried, pelletised form, they are sold to aquarists as a form of fish-food. It is most economically important to humans as a host of Myxobolus cerebralis, which causes disease in fish stocks. No other worms are known to harbor this parasite.

T. tubifex probably includes several species, but distinguishing between them is difficult because reproductive organs, commonly used in species identification, are resorbed after mating, and because external characteristics of the worm vary with changes in salinity.

Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a type of aquatic crustacean. They are found worldwide in saltwater, though not in oceans. Artemia is a well known genus as one variety, the Artemia nyos, a hybrid of Artemia salina, are sold as novelty gifts, most commonly under the marketing name Sea-Monkeys.

Artemia were first discovered in Lymington, England in 1755. There are mixed views on whether all brine shrimp are part of one species or whether the varieties that have been identified are properly classified as separate species.

Un-hatched brine shrimp are metabolically inactive and can remain in total stasis for several years while in dry oxygen-free conditions, even at temperatures below freezing. This characteristic is called Cryptobiosis meaning "hidden life" (also called Diapause). Once placed in water, the cyst-like eggs hatch within a few hours, and will grow to a mature length of around one centimeter on average. Brine shrimp have a biological life cycle of one year. This short life span, and other characteristics such as their ability to remain dormant for long periods, have made them invaluable in scientific research, including space experiments.

*Pictured are the shrimp with the eggs visible in the bottom shrimp. Shrimp not included.

Our copepods are freshwater only.

Crayfish, sometimes called crawfish, or crawdads are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are closely related. They are found in bodies of fresh water that do not freeze to the bottom, and which have shelter against predators.

Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species such as the invasive Procambarus clarkii are more hardy. Some crayfish have been found living as much as 3 m (10 feet) underground.

Found in mangroves and on sandy or muddy beaches of West Africa, the Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Indo-Pacific, fiddler crabs are easily recognized by their distinctively asymmetric claws. It is the males which boast an oversized claw or cheliped; it plays a role in courtship and signalling among conspecifics. The movement of the smaller claw during feeding, from the ground to the mouth, inspired the crabs' common name; to many, it appears as if the animal is playing a fiddle (the larger claw).

There are several species of hermit crabs that are common in the marine aquarium trade. These omnivorous or herbivorous species are useful in the household aquarium as scavengers, eating algae and other debris.

The scarlet hermit crab, or red reef hermit crab (Paguristes cadenati), is a handsome and interesting species with a bright red body and yellow eyestalks, and stays rather small (about 2-5 cm / 1-2 inches across). Smaller species of a similar passive nature include the zebra hermit crab (brown legs with white bands), the red-tip crab and blue-legged crab.

Ostracods are small crustaceans, typically around one mm in size, but varying between 0.2 to 30 mm, laterally compressed and protected by a bivalve-like, chitinous or calcareous valve or "shell". The hinge of the two valves is in the upper, dorsal region of the body.

Ecologically ostracods can be part of the zooplankton, or (most commonly) they are part of the benthos, living on or inside the upper layer of the sea floor. Many ostracods are also found in fresh water and some are known from humid continental forest soils. Our ostracods are freshwater.

Woodlice (known locally under many names; see below) are terrestrial crustaceans with a rigid, segmented, calcareous exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs. They form the suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda, with over 3000 known species.

Woodlice need moisture because they breathe through gills, called pseudotrachea, and so are usually found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs. They are usually nocturnal and are detritivores, feeding mostly on dead plant matter. They should be considered beneficial garden organisms as they recycle nutrients back into the soil. In artificial environments such as greenhouses where it can be very moist, woodlice may become abundant and damage young plants.

Common names for woodlice vary throughout the English-speaking world. They include roly-poly, pill bug (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium), sow bug, doodle bug, carpenter (Newfoundland), woodbug, potato bug, armadillo bug, slater, ball bug, bowling ball bug, chuggy pig, hardy back, butcher boy, daddy gramfer / daddy gampfer (West Country), Granny Grey (South Wales), cheesybug (Kent), and cheeselog.

Woodlice (known locally under many names; see below) are terrestrial crustaceans with a rigid, segmented, calcareous exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs. They form the suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda, with over 3000 known species.

Woodlice need moisture because they breathe through gills, called pseudotrachea, and so are usually found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs. They are usually nocturnal and are detritivores, feeding mostly on dead plant matter. They should be considered beneficial garden organisms as they recycle nutrients back into the soil. In artificial environments such as greenhouses where it can be very moist, woodlice may become abundant and damage young plants.

Common names for woodlice vary throughout the English-speaking world. They include roly-poly, pill bug (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium), sow bug, doodle bug, carpenter (Newfoundland), woodbug, potato bug, armadillo bug, slater, ball bug, bowling ball bug, chuggy pig, hardy back, butcher boy, daddy gramfer / daddy gampfer (West Country), Granny Grey (South Wales), cheesybug (Kent), and cheeselog.

Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. They can constitute up to 15% of the total animal biomass of a tropical rainforest; in the Amazon the combined weight of the ants is said to be four times larger than that of the tetrapods in the same area. As of 2006, there are 11,880 known ant species, most of which reside in hot climates.

About 4,000 species of aphids are known, classified in 10 families; of these, around 250 species are serious pests for agriculture and forestry as well as an annoyance for gardeners. They vary in size from 1-10 mm long.

Important natural enemies include the predatory ladybugs (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), hoverfly larvae (Diptera: Syrphidae), and lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and entomopathogenic fungi like Lecanicillium lecanii and the Entomophthorales.

Aphids are distributed world-wide, but they are most common in temperate zones. It is possible for aphids to migrate great distances depending on the weather patterns (mainly passive dispersal riding on winds); for example, the lettuce aphid spreading from New Zealand to Tasmania. They have also been spread by humans transporting infested plant material.

No longer available, if looking for food, substitute fruit flies (drosophilia).

Bodies elongate-cylindrical and black overall; ventral surfaces may be covered with yellow setae. The head is narrower than the thorax, with antennae consisting of 10 antennomeres with a three-segment club. The elytra are elongate with parallel sides, and heavily striated.

They are subsocial (brood caring) beetles living in groups in rotting logs. They care for their young by preparing food for them and helping the larvae construct the pupal case. Both adults and larvae must consume adult feces which have been further digested by microflora for a time; an arrangement that might be described as a sort of external rumen.

In addition, they are also able to produce fourteen acoustical signals, more than many vertebrates. Adults produce the sounds by rubbing the upper surface of the abdomen against the hind wings. The larvae produce the sounds by rubbing the third leg against a striated area on the coxa of the second leg.

Seasonal (please call for availability) Out of stock

 Please allow approximately 3 weeks for your larvae to develop. During extremely hot or cold weather, delivery of live larvae may be delayed. Available only in the Continental U.S. and Alaska. Judged “best overall” butterfly-raising kit by the Wall Street Journal, and winner of the 2004 Teachers’ Choice Award. Ages 4 & up.

Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are fast-moving venomous, predatory terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs. Chiefly nocturnal, centipedes are found primarily in tropical climates but are also widely distributed in temperate zones. Some species are highly venomous with extremely toxic venom on their claws which can cause death in humans.

As in the closely-related millipedes, they are highly segmented (15 to 173 segments), but with only one pair of walking legs per segment. Centipedes are dorso-ventrally flattened, and are among the fastest and most agile of arthropod predators.

Crickets are known for their chirp (which only male crickets can do; male wings have ridges that act like a "comb and file" instrument). They chirp by rubbing their wings or legs over each other (called "stridulation"), and the song is species-specific. There are two types of cricket songs: a calling song and a courting song. The calling song attracts females and repels other males, and is fairly loud. The courting song is used when a female cricket is near, and is a very quiet song. Female crickets have a long needlelike egg-laying organ (ovipositor).

Crickets chirp at different rates depending both on their species and the temperature of their environment. Most species chirp at higher rates the higher the temperature is (approx. 60 chirps a minute at 13ºC in one common species; each species has its own rate). The relationship between temperature and the rate of chirping is known as Dolbear's Law.

The Damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera) is an insect in the Order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along the body when at rest. Damselflies are also usually smaller, and weaker fliers than dragonflies, and their eyes are separated.

Damselflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis. The female lays eggs in water, sometimes in underwater vegetation. Nymphs are carnivorous, feeding on daphnia, mosquito larvae, and other small aquatic organisms. After molting several times, the adult emerges and eats flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects.

Some species live in the dry Namib desert and have evolved modification that help them collect water from the fog that condenses on their elytra.

Raising darkling beetles from larvae through adulthood can be a rewarding biology project for lower school educators.

Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic.

Dragonflies do not bite or sting humans; in fact, they are valued as a predator that helps control the populations of harmful insects, such as mosquitoes.

Includes sturdy Ladybug Land habitat, magnifier dome cap, pre-paid certificate for 15 to 20 ladybug larvae with special food and complete instructions. 10 Ladybugs guaranteed to be perfect specimens. Please allow approximately two weeks for your larvae to develop. During extremely hot or cold weather, delivery of live larvae may be delayed.

Available only in the Continental U.S. and Alaska. Live ladybug larvae shipments not available to Oregon. Ages 4 & up.

The word "lady" in the name is thought to allude to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic faith. Coccinellids are found worldwide, with over 4,500 species described, more than 450 native to North America alone. Coccinellids are small insects, ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm (0.04 to 0.4 inches), and are usually yellow, orange, or red with small black spots on their carapace, with black legs, head and feelers. As the family name suggests, they are usually quite round in shape.

Because they are useful, colourful, and harmless to humans, coccinellids are typically considered cute even by people who hate most insects. Some people consider seeing them or having them land on one's body to be a sign of good luck to come, and that killing them presages bad luck.

The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2-3 inches at maturity. They are originally from the island of Madagascar off the African coast. Also, they are wingless, an uncommon attribute in the cockroaches of the world; however, they are excellent climbers and can easily climb smooth glass.

It is a very popular pet because of its hissing sound, large size and interesting appearance. Their namesake "hissing cockroach" is due to their ability to force air through the breathing pores (spiracles) found on their abdomen. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach is believed to be the only insect that can hiss in this manner, as most insects make a "hissing" sound by rubbing together various body parts. This hiss is used in two contexts: the disturbance hiss and the fighting hiss. All cockroaches from the fourth instar (fourth molting cycle) and older are capable of the disturbance hiss. Only males use the fighting hiss when challenged by other males. It is thought that females will not mate with males that cannot hiss.

The hatching period is in the Spring months, earlier in the warmer Southern states, and as late as June in the Northern United States. The eggs hatch out when the weather becomes warm and their insect prey becomes available.

Pictured to the right is a Praying mantis producing an egg case

A praying mantis, or praying mantid, is a large insect of the order Mantodea, named for their "prayer-like" stance. The word mantis derives from the Greek word Mantes for prophet or fortune teller; the plural is therefore mantes, with mantises also acceptable. There are approximately 2,300 species world-wide; most are tropical or subtropical, but several species live in temperate climates such as that of the northern United States, central Europe, and Siberia. Praying Mantids are also one of the few insects that can turn their heads. Some texts refer to the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) as the most common praying mantis in European countries. Ischnomantis gigas is the largest mantis with 17 cm length in the female and is found in the Sahel zone of Africa. The smallest mantis is Bolbe pygmaea, which is only 1cm long.

Seasonal (available January through June)

Mealworms are typically used as a food source for reptile and avian pets. They are also provided to wild birds in bird feeders, particularly during the nesting season when birds are raising their young and appreciate a ready food supply.

Adults are 9/16 to 10/16 inch long, black, and colorfully marked with reddish-orange on the head, sides of the pronotum (part of the thorax), and the wing covers. They have a Y-shaped head marking and two wide crossing orange bands across the wings. They are common on milkweed plants.

Milkweed plants sometimes fill entire fields in good years, but usually are found along roadways. The plant produces a milky white sap when a leaf is removed. These plants are large (3-4 feet high) with sprays of small white flowers in the summer. In the fall, seed pods develop which are 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. When the seeds ripen the seed pods open up releasing the seeds which float on fluffy white parasols. Milkweed bugs can be found on seed pods piercing the wall of the pod to feed on seeds.

This class contains around 10,000 species. These animals are detritivores, slow and nonvenomous; unlike the somewhat similar and closely related centipedes (Class Chilopoda), which can be easily distinguished by their single pair of legs for each body segment. Most millipedes eat decaying leaves and other dead plant matter, moisturizing the food with secretions and then scraping it in with the jaws. However they can also be a minor garden pest, especially in Greenhouses where they can cause severe damage to emergent seedlings. Signs of millipede damage include the stripping of the outer layers of a young plant stem and irregular damage to leaves and plant apices.

The Mosquito is a member of the family Culicidae; these insects have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and long legs. The females of most mosquito species suck blood from other animals. Size varies but is rarely greater than 15 mm (0.6 inch). Mosquitoes weigh only about 2 to 2.5 mg (0.03 to 0.04 grain). They can fly at about 1.5 to 2.5 km/h (0.9 to 1.6 mph) and most species are nocturnal.

Mosquitoes are principally nectar feeders with only the females requiring a meal of blood. In contrast to this rule the Toxorhynchites never drinks blood. This family includes the largest of the extant mosquitoes (colloquially referred to as "mosquito eaters") and their larvae are predatory on the larvae of other mosquitoes.

Silkworms have a strong appetite, as do all lepidopteran larvae. They eat mulberry leaves day and night. Thus, they grow very fast. When the color of their heads turns darker, it means that it is time for them to moult. After they moult about four times, their bodies turn slightly yellow and their skin becomes tighter, which means they are going to enter an apparently resting state (the pupa or chrysalis), during which they transform themselves into moths. Before becoming a pupa, the silkworm encloses itself in a cocoon, for protection during the vulnerable, almost motionless pupal state. The silkworm is so called because it spins its cocoon from raw silk produced in its salivary glands.

Silkworm Larvae are only available during the Spring time.

Termites only superficially resemble ants; their "white ant" name is probably due to their similar size and social habits.

Termites have biting mouthparts and their soft bodies are small, rarely over 10 mm in length. They typically inhabit dark nests and tunnels, only venturing out when the winged alates emerge to leave their parent colony, when constructing shelter or, in the case of grass-eaters, when harvesting grass stems. The bodies of flying individuals are dark, while termites which remain in the nest are whitish with only their heads being lightly pigmented. The deciduous wings of termites are long and slender, in two pairs that are similarly sized and shaped.

They are medium white caterpillars with black tipped feet and small black heads. In the wild they live as nest parasites in bee colonies and eat cocoons, pollen, and shed skins of bees, and chew through beeswax, thus the name. When used in captivity they can go a long time without eating, particularly if kept refrigerated. Captive wax worms are generally raised on a mixture of cereal grain and honey. Beekeepers consider waxworms to be pests.

ZOPHOBAS BEETLE (Superworm Beetles) Superworm is the common name for the larvae of a darkling beetle, species Zophobas morio. Superworms are common in the reptile pet industry. In the search for easy to raise insects to use as food for captive reptiles and amphibians, superworms quickly moved into the spotlight, and have been a staple feeder insect ever since.

These insect larvae resemble very large mealworms, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches long. Once they reach adult size, the larvae pupate, and later emerge as large, black beetles.

Superworms are readily accepted by lizards, frogs, salamanders, birds, and other insectivorous animals. Their hard chitin may make them less suitable for arachnids and some predatory insects. Their nutritional values are similar to those of mealworms, so supplementation with calcium is necessary if they are used as a staple food item. They are odor-free, and can be easily contained with little to no risk of escapes, making them ideal for raising at home to feed a collection of captive insectivores.

Hydra is a genus of simple, fresh-water animals possessing radial symmetry. Hydras are predatory animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and the class Hydrozoa.

Hydras are low power microscopical life forms and are often studied by biologists due to their regenerative powers. They can be found in most un-polluted freshwater ponds, lakes and streams in the temperate and tropical regions by gently sweeping a collecting net through weedy areas.

Hydras are small animals with a body length ranging from 1 mm to 20 mm when fully extended. They have a tubular body secured by a simple adhesive foot. At the free end of the body is a mouth opening surrounded by a ring of 5 to 12 thin mobile tentacles. Each tentacle, or cnidae, is clothed with highly specialised stinging cells called cnidocytes. Cnidocytes contain specialized structures called nematocysts which look like miniature light bulbs with a coiled thread inside. At the narrow outer edge of the cnidocyte is a short trigger hair. Upon contact with prey, the contents of the nematocyst are explosively discharged, firing a dart-like thread containing neurotoxins into whatever triggered the release.

Hydra are small aquatic invertebrates belonging to the order Hydroida, in the class Hydrozoa, phylum Cnidaria.

This is the same phylum as the marine jellyfishes, corals, and sea anemones. Only a few species that belong to this phylum occur in freshwater due to the fact that they evolved in the sea. The body is a thin cylinder with several tentacles extending from the mouth (Five to seven tentacles are typical).

Hydra mainly feed on small aquatic invertebrates such as Daphnia and Cyclops. Some species of hydra exist in a symbiotic relationship with various types of green algae. The hydra offers the algae protection from predators and in return, the algae uses photosynthesis to give the hydra a food source.

Please allow up to two weeks for delivery.

Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata, from the Greek for spiny skin) are a phylum of marine animals found at all depths.

This phylum appeared in the early Cambrian Period and contains about 7,000 living species and 13,000 extinct ones. Five or six classes (six counting Concentricycloidea) are alive today:

• Asteroidea (asteroids, starfish, or sea stars): about 1,500 species that capture prey for their own food.
• Concentricycloidea (sea daisies), notable for their unique water vascular system; two species; recently merged into Asteroidea.
• Crinoidea (crinoids, feather stars or sea lilies): about 600 species that are suspension feeders.
• Echinoidea (echinoids, sea urchins and sand dollars): notable for their movable spines; about 1,000 species.
• Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers): elongated animals resembling slugs; about 1,000 species.
• Ophiuroidea (brittle stars and basket stars), the physically largest of echinoderms; about 1,500 species

Banana slugs are decomposers. They process leaves, animal droppings, and dead plant material, and then recycle them into soil. They seem to have a fondness for mushrooms, and they spread seeds and spores when they eat. They move relatively slowly since banana slugs, like all slugs, have only one muscular foot.

Slugs use two pairs of tentacles, termed eye-stalks, to sense their environment. The larger pair is used to detect light or movement. The second pair is used to detect pheromones. The tentacles can retract and extend themselves to avoid damage from leaves and twigs.

Call for availability and price.

If you are outside California you need to have a USDA permit to receive land snails. Please contact us for a USDA permit application PPQ 526 or go online and apply via ePermits at www.aphis.usda.gov

The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. Snails are found in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments. Most are of herbivorous nature, though a few land species and many marine species may be omnivores or carnivores. Other gastropods, which lack a conspicuous shell, are commonly called slugs, and are scattered throughout groups that primarily include snails.

While most people are familiar with only terrestrial snails, the majority of snails are not terrestrial. Snails with lungs belong to the group Pulmonata, while those with gills form a paraphyletic group.

The term mussel is used for several families of bivalve mollusks inhabiting lakes, rivers, and creeks, as well as intertidal areas along coastlines worldwide.

The freshwater mussels (several allied families, the largest being the Unionidae) and saltwater mussels (family Mytilidae) are not thought to be immediate relatives and are grouped in different subclasses, despite some similarities in appearance.

Most of these snails are of the family Planorbidae. Their blood–like human blood–contains hemoglobin, which may lend these snails a bright reddish color. These ramshorn snails breathe air. Although most are extremely small, some may reach a size of two and a half centimeters (one inch). The shells range from translucent through various shades of brown to a dark, nearly black color. The dark color appears to originate from dietary materials not generally available in the home aquarium, although many varieties from ponds will be this dark shade.

Vinegar eels are actually named turbatrix aceti and belong to the phyla nematoda (nematodes). They are free-living, non-parasitic unsegmented roundworms and were discovered by Borellus in 1656. They eat bacteria and fungi that grows in unpasteurized vinegar solutions.

Vinegar eels live an average of 10 months, giving birth to as many as 45 young every 8 to 10 days. A healthy culture can experience a 20-times increase in its population in only 8 days. They thrive over a wide range of temperature from 60 to 90 degrees. In pure liquid cultures, such as a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice, 90 percent of the worms will inhabit the top 1/4 inch of the liquid to be as close to oxygen-rich surface as possible.

Planaria sp. is a common freshwater, non-parasitic member of the phylum Platyhelminthes, class Turbellaria. It should be noted that the term "planaria" is most often used as a common name, much in the same way as trout. It is also the name of a genus within the family Planariidae. It moves by beating cilia on the ventral dermis, allowing it to glide along on a film of mucus. Some move by undulations of the whole body by the contractions of muscles built into the body wall.

They exhibit an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost body parts. For example, a Planaria split length wise or crosswise will regenerate into 2 separate individuals. The size ranges from 3 to 12 mm, and the body has two eye-spots (also known as ocelli) that can detect the intensity of light. The eye-spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from light sources. Planaria have 3 germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm), but lack a body cavity or coelom. They have a single-opening digestive tract, consisting of one anterior branch and two posterior branches in freshwater planarians. Because of this three-branched organization, freshwater flatworms are often referred to as triclad planarians.

Planaria sp. is a common freshwater, non-parasitic member of the phylum Platyhelminthes, class Turbellaria. It should be noted that the term "planaria" is most often used as a common name, much in the same way as trout. It is also the name of a genus within the family Planariidae. It moves by beating cilia on the ventral dermis, allowing it to glide along on a film of mucus. Some move by undulations of the whole body by the contractions of muscles built into the body wall.

They exhibit an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost body parts. For example, a Planaria split length wise or crosswise will regenerate into 2 separate individuals. The size ranges from 3 to 12 mm, and the body has two eye-spots (also known as ocelli) that can detect the intensity of light. The eye-spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from light sources. Planaria have 3 germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm), but lack a body cavity or coelom. They have a single-opening digestive tract, consisting of one anterior branch and two posterior branches in freshwater planarians. Because of this three-branched organization, freshwater flatworms are often referred to as triclad planarians.

Rotifers get their name (derived from Latin and meaning "wheel-bearer"; they have also been called wheel animalcules) from the corona, which is composed of several ciliated tufts around the mouth that in motion resemble a wheel. These create a current that sweeps food into the mouth, where it is chewed up by a characteristic pharynx (mastax) containing tiny jaws. It also pulls the animal, when unattached, through the water. Most free-living forms have pairs of posterior toes to anchor themselves while feeding.

Mosquito ferns float on the surface of water with their roots floating in the water. They form a symbiotic relationship with the cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae, which allows the plants to fix nitrogen from the air.

Because of their nitrogen-fixing capability, mosquito ferns have enabled an agricultural revolution in parts of southeast Asia. When rice paddies are flooded in the spring, they can be inoculated with Azolla, which then quickly multiplies to cover the water. As the plants die, they contribute nitrogen to the rice plants, and as the rice paddy dries out, the Azolla all eventually die, making an exceptional green fertilizer.

A fern frond consists of a stipe, the stem supporting the blade, and the blade consists of both a laminar (flattened) photosynthetic tissue and a rachis—that portion of the stem to which the laminar tissue is attached. The blades of fern fronds may vary from being simple (undivided) to being highly dissected, even "lace-like". If the leaf tissue is undissected, or the dissections do not reach to the rachis, the frond may be described as lobed or pinnatifid. Otherwise, the blade is compound and each large division of the laminar tissue arising from the rachis is called a pinna (pl., pinnae). The main vein or mid-rib of a pinna is known as a costa (pl., costae). Pinnae may be arranged along the rachis either directly opposite one another or alternating up the stem. The arrangement may change from the base of a blade to the tip, as in the example of Blechnum shown below (from base to tip: pinnae opposite to alternate, and pinnatisect to pinnatifid).

A fern is a vascular plant that differs from the more primitive lycophytes in having true leaves (megaphylls), and from the more advanced seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) in lacking seeds. Like all vascular plants, it has a life cycle, often referred to as alternation of generations, characterised by a diploid sporophytic and a haploid gametophytic phase. Unlike the gymnosperms and angiosperms, in ferns the gametophyte is a free-living organism

Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards.

This genus is remarkable for containing more important agricultural and horticultural crops than any other genus. It also includes a number of weeds, both wild taxa and escapees from cultivation. It includes over 30 wild species and hybrids, and numerous additional cultivars and hybrids of cultivated origin. Most are annuals or biennials, but some are small shrubs.

The genus is native in the wild in western Europe, the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia. In addition to the cultivated species, which are grown worldwide, many of the wild species grow as weeds, especially in North America, South America, and Australia.

Almost all parts of some species or other have been developed for food, including the root (swedes, turnips), stems (kohlrabi), leaves (cabbage, brussels sprouts), flowers (cauliflower, broccoli), and seeds (many, including mustard seed, oilseed rape). Some forms with white or purple foliage or flowerheads, are also sometimes grown for ornament.

Cabombaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants. Such a family has been recognised by at least some taxonomists.

The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), does not recognise such a family, at least as such: the plants in question are included in family Nymphaeaceae. However, APG II does allow this as an optional segregate. In that case the family is unplaced as to order: it is not placed at all beyond being accepted among the most basic lineages in the clade angiosperms.

The family consists of two genera (Brasenia and Cabomba, totalling half-a-dozen species, of aquatic plants.

Elodea is a genus of aquatic plants often called the Water weeds. Elodea is native to North America and it is also widely used as aquarium vegetation. The introduction of some species of Elodea into waterways in parts of Europe, the Australia, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand has created a significant problem, and it is now considered a noxious weed in these areas.

Elodea canadensis, sometimes called American or Canadian waterweed/pondweed or Anacharis (a former scientific name) is widely known as the generic water weed. The use of these names causes it to be confused with similar-looking non-native plants, like Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) or hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). American waterweed is an attractive aquarium plant, and is a good substitute for Brazilian elodea.

The American waterweed lives entirely underwater with the exception of small white flowers which bloom at the surface and are attached to the plant by delicate stalks. It produces winter buds from the stem tips that overwinter on the lake bottom. It also often overwinters as an evergreen plant in mild climates. In the fall, leafy stalks will detach from the parent plant, float away, root, and start new plants. This is the American waterweed's most important method of spreading, with seed production playing a relatively minor role.

Gymnosperms (Gymnospermae) are a group of seed-bearing plants which bear seeds on cone-like structures rather than inside fruit. The term gymnosperm comes from the Greek word gumnospermos, translated literally "naked seed". The name points out that the seeds are not formed in ovules or found inside fruit, as they are in angiosperms, but are found naked on the scales of a cone or similar structure.

The production of seeds distinguishes the gymnosperms (along with the angiosperms) from other members of the vascular plants. Thus together they are called seed plants (Spermatophyta).

Gymnosperms are heterosporous, producing microspores that develop into pollen grains and megaspores that are retained in an ovule. After fertilization (joining of the micro- and megaspore), the resulting embryo, along with other cells comprising the ovule, develops into a seed. The seed is a sporophyte resting stage.

In early classification schemes, the gymnosperms (Gymnospermae) "naked seed" plants were regarded as a "natural" group. However, certain fossil discoveries suggest that the angiosperms evolved from a gymnosperm ancestor, which would make the gymnosperms a paraphyletic group if all extinct taxa are included. Modern cladistics only accepts taxa that are monophyletic, traceable to a common ancestor and inclusive of all descendants of that common ancestor.

Hornwort is a common name used to describe two completely unrelated type of plants.  What we carry is an aquatic which resembles Cabomba and is used as a substitute for Cabomba.  Hornworts are a group of bryophytes, or non-vascular plants, comprising the division Anthocerotophyta.

Lemna species grow as simple free-floating thalli on or just beneath the water surface. Most are small, not exceeding 5 mm in length, except Lemna trisulca which is elongated and has a branched structure. Lemna thalli have a single root, which distingushes them from related species Spirodela and Landoltia

The plants grow mainly by vegetative reproduction, two daughter plants bud off from the adult plant. This form of growth allows very rapid colonisation of new water. Duckweeds are flowering plants, and nearly all of them are known to reproduce sexually, flowering and producing seed under appropriate conditions. Certain duckweeds (e.g. L. gibba) are long day plants, while others (e.g. L. minor) are short day plants.

When Lemna invades a waterway, it can be removed mechanically, by the addition of herbivorous fish (e.g. grass carp) or treated with a herbicide.

The rapid growth of duckweeds finds application in bioremediation of polluted waters and as test organisms for environmental studies. It is also being used as an expression system for economical prodution of complex biopharmaceuticals.

Parrot feather is native to the Amazon River in South America - however, it can be found worldwide now. It is thought that this plant was introduced to North America around the 1800s. As it prefers a warmer climate, it is chiefly found in the southern parts of the United States. Parrot feather is a fresh-water plant; it can be found in lakes, ponds, and streams.

Parrot feather is a perennial plant. As the water warms in the spring, parrot feather begins to flourish. Most plants flower in the spring; however, some also flower in the fall. Flowers of this plant are very small and white in color. Almost all plants of this species are female, in fact there are no male plants found outside of South America. Seeds are not produced in any North American plants. Parrot feather reproduces asexually. New plants grow from fragments of already rooted plants.

The name horsetail arose because it was thought that the stalk resembled a horse's tail; the name Equisetum is from the Latin equus, "horse", and seta, "bristle". Other names, rarely used, include candock (applied to branching species only), and scouring-rush (applied to the unbranched or sparsely branched species). The name scouring-rush refers to its rush-like appearance and because the stems are coated with abrasive silica that led them to be used for scouring cooking pots in the past.

Marchantia is a genus in family Marchantiaceae of order Marchantiales, a group of liverworts.

These are simple plants without roots or vascular systems. They were once considered related to moss and part of division Bryophyta, but more recently have been assigned their own plant division, Marchantiophyta.

Lycopods reproduce sexually by spores. The plant has an underground sexual phase that produces gametes, and this alternates in the life cycle with the spore-producing plant. The prothallium developed from the spore is a subterranean mass of tissue of considerable size and bears both the male and female organs (antheridium and archegonia). However, it is more common that they are distributed vegetatively through above or below ground rhizomes.

There is a total of approximately 200 species, with 37 species widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates, though they are confined to mountains in the tropics.

Botanically, mosses are bryophytes, or non-vascular plants. They can be distinguished from the apparently similar liverworts (Marchantiophyta or Hepaticae) by their multi-cellular rhizoids. Other differences are not universal for all mosses and all liverworts, but the presence of clearly differentiated "stem" and "leaves", the lack of deeply lobed or segmented leaves, and the absence of leaves arranged in three ranks, all point to the plant being a moss.

The division Bryophyta formerly included not only mosses, but also liverworts and hornworts. These other two groups of bryophytes now are often placed in their own divisions.

In addition to lacking a vascular system, mosses have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, i.e. the plant's cells are haploid for most of its life cycle. Sporophytes (i.e. the diploid body) are short-lived and dependent on the gametophyte. This is in contrast to the pattern exhibited by most "higher" plants and by most animals. In vascular plants, for example, the haploid generation is represented by the pollen and the ovule, whilst the diploid generation is the familiar flowering plant.

There are two genera included here. Actinophrys have a single, central nucleus. Most are around 40-50 μm in diameter, with axopods up to 100 μm in length, though this varies. Actinosphaerium are several times larger, from 200-1000 μm in diameter, with many nuclei, and are found exclusively in fresh water. Two other genera, Echinosphaerium and Camptonema, have been described but appear to be synonyms.

This large protozoon uses tentacular protuberances called pseudopodia to move and phagocytosize smaller unicellular organisms, which are enveloped inside the cell's cytoplasm in a food vacuole, where they are slowly broken down by enzymes.

The Amoeba proteus possesses a nucleus containing granular chromatin, and is therefore an eukaryote.

Protists or protoctista is a name used for all single cellular life forms that are neither animals, plants, fungi or bacteria.

This shelled amoeba, Arcella, (Pictured to the right) lives in a protective 'test' Pseudopodia can be seen reaching out the opening at the bottom. Thin strands anchor the amoeba to its house.

Pelomyxa have anywhere from two to several hundred nuclei. A moving cell is cylindrical in shape, with a single hemispherical pseudopod at the front and a semipermanent projection called a uroid at the back, which is covered in tiny non-motile flagella. They consume a wide variety of food, and have many vacuoles containing whatever particles that happen across, both food such as diatoms and debris such as sand.

This is one of several genera of amoebae that lack mitochondria. As such it has been considered as possibly one of the most primitive eukaryotes, and given its own phylum (Pelobionta or Caryoblastea). However the absence is now known to be secondary. It is grouped with the other amitochondriate genera as the Archamoebae, which are now placed among the Amoebozoa.

The Euplotes  belongs to the Phyllum Ciliophora.   They are from 80-200 um long.

Euplotes is an interesting ciliate with a transparent body.  It has large cilia that is tufted together to form cirri and a band-like macronucleus (the big backward "C" shown inside the body).

From the side, Euplotes is quite thin and can be seen using its cirri and  "walking" along objects.   Below, we see Euplores walking on the edge of an air bubble.

The heterotrichs are a class of ciliates. They typically have a prominent adoral zone of membranelles circling the mouth, used in locomotion and feeding, and shorter cilia on the rest of the body. Many species are highly contractile, and are typically compressed or conical in form. These include some of the largest protozoa, such as Stentor and Spirostomum, as well as many brightly pigmented forms, such as certain Blepharisma.

A number of ultrastructural details characterize the group. The cilia on the body are in dikinetids, in which either the anterior one or both kinetosomes may be ciliated, and which are associated with fibers composed of overlapping postciliary microtubules, called postciliodesmata and found only in this group and the closely related Karyorelictea. A series of oral polykinetids, each containing two or three rows of kinetosomes, support the membranelles. These run from the left to the anterior of the mouth, and often spiral out of the oral cavity. The macronucleus is divided by external microtubules, whereas in the Karyorelictea it forms by differentiation of micronuclei, and in all other ciliates it is divided by internal microtubules.

The cryptomonads are a small group of flagellates, most of which have chloroplasts. They are common in freshwater, and also occur in marine and brackish habitats. Each cell is around 10-50 μm in size and flattened in shape, with an anterior groove or pocket. At the edge of the pocket there are typically two slightly unequal flagella.

Cryptomonads distinguished by the presence of characteristic extrusomes called ejectisomes, which consist of two connected spiral ribbons held under tension. If the cells are irritated either by mechanical, chemical or light stress, they discharge, propelling the cell in a zig-zag course away from the disturbance. Large ejectisomes, visible under the light microscope, are associated with the pocket; smaller ones occur elsewhere on the cell.

Cryptomonads have one or two chloroplasts, except for Chilomonas which has leucoplasts and Goniomonas which lacks plastids entirely.

The Volvocaceae are a family of unicellular or colonial biflagellates, including the typical genus Volvox. The family was named by Ehrenberg in 1834, and is known in older classifications as the Volvocidae. Originally it included all the colonial forms here grouped as the Volvocales, but since has been restricted to the spherical colonies, which form as a flat plate of cells and undergo a process of gastrulation before being released. These organisms have been studied by geneticists who hope that they may shed light on gastrulation in the development of other organisms, including humans.

Eudorina colonies are composed of 16 or 32 spherical, biflagellate cells loosely aggregated into a globular shape within a mucilage envelope. In some species the mucilage sheaths extend around each individual cell. The cells are spherical or ovoid and each have two equal flagella with contractile vacuoles at the base, an eyespot, and a large cup- shaped chloroplast with at least one pyrenoid. The eyespots of the anterior cells are larger than those of the posterior cells.

Euglena is a genus of microscopic, one-celled organisms in the Protista kingdom.  There are about 150 species of euglenas.  They live in fresh water, and are especially common in warm seasons when they may form a green scum on the surfaces of small ponds or drainage ditches.

Euglenas have spindle-shaped bodies, and range in size from 1/1000 to 1/100 of an inch (0.025 to 0.254 millimeter) long.  Most species are green because they contain chlorophyll which allows them to produce food through photosynthesis for themselves, as well as serve as primary producers for aquatic ecosystems.  Some species also eat tiny particles of living matter.  Euglenas use a flagellum (a whiplike appendage) that sticks out from the body, to move and are thus categorized as flagellates. Euglena are commonly foundly infreshwater streams and ponds and make excellent specimens for study. They reproduce rapidly and can be studied under an ordinary microscope.

Peranema are small flagellates and range in size from 20-70 um in diameter.  They are very active predators and scavengers.

This flagellate is common in waters rich in organic nutrients, especially in water in which decay is taking place.

The single flagellum projects straight forward, and a rapid rotation of its extreme end pulls the Peranema smoothly through the water.  The body of the Peranema can undergo extreme contraction and distortion as it moves. 

Peranema have been seen inside the bodies of dead rotifers and are said to absorb nutrients through their outer pellicle.  In addition, they can ingest quantities of detritus, bacteria, algae and even large organisms by expansion of the cytostome -- a cavity which lies at the base of the flagellum.

Amphiuma is a genus of aquatic salamanders, the only genus within the family Amphiumidae. They are also known as "congo eels" or "congo snakes", which are zoologically incorrect designations.

Amphiumas have an elongated body, generally grey-black in color. They do have legs, but they are very small, while amphiumas can be up to 1 m long, but their legs measure only 2 cm. Therefore, they can resemble eels.

Larvae have external gills. After four months these external gills disappear and the lungs begin to work. One pair of gill slits is retained and never disappears, so the metamorphosis remains incomplete.

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Bull frogs are large amphibians and can grow to a body length of 6 inches (15 cm) with a weight of 1.5 lb (750 g). Females are typically larger than males. They are generally varying shades of green or brown, with dark brown, dark green, or black blotching and a yellow or white underside.

They are entirely aquatic though they do break the water surface as they are air breathers. They are nearly blind at close range being far-sighted, but have keen sight 7 cm or further away. They rely on a sharp sense of smell and touch to find food. They are meat eaters and eat small insects, worms, fish meat and red mosquito larvae, also known as bloodworms (though this food should only be fed once a week in captivity). They are often sold in pet shops and can live in captivity for 10-20 years.

They are cousins to the larger African clawed frog. When very young, African dwarf frogs can be confused with African clawed frogs, but may be distinguished by their heavily webbed toes. They are usually only an inch and a half in body length when fully grown; females are generally larger than the males.

The male makes a quiet mating call when sexually active; females are typically silent. At 6 months old, males reach sexual maturity, and can be identified by a red section of skin behind each armpit that appears as a result of gland development.

Frog eggs are encased in a gelatinous fluid and laid in water. During these breeding periods, a female may deposit anywhere from 19 to 30,000 eggs! Each egg sack alone can, depending on the species, contain hundreds and hundreds of eggs. Since frog eggs are a favorite delicacy of many predators, laying the eggs in large numbers usually assures that at least a few will hatch into tadpoles, and an even fewer number will grow to be adults.

When the tadpole has had enough time to develop inside the egg, the envelope holding the egg in the mass will either disintegrate or a chemical that the tadpoles secrete will cause the egg to break up. The tadpole will then emerge, using its external gills to collect oxygen from the water and its small, specialized mouth to collect algae. The tadpole will quickly develop a long, compressed tail which helps it to maneuver around in the water.

These are only available in the spring time.

Leopard frogs are recognized by their green or brown coloration with distinct light-edged dark spots across the back and pure white underside. They also have a characteristic line of raised glandular skin, called the dorsolateral ridge, extending from each eye to the groin.

A tadpole (also known as a pollywog or polliwog) is a larval frog. In this stage it breathes by means of external or internal gills, is at first lacking legs, and has a finlike tail with which it swims as most fish do, by lateral undulation. As a tadpole matures, it metamorphoses by gradually growing limbs and then (in the case of frogs and toads) absorbing its tail by apoptosis (controlled cell death). Tadpoles depend very much on clean water. Most tadpoles are herbivorous, subsisting on algae or other greens such as boiled lettuce in captivity. However, they are true omnivores, being able to adapt to a carnivorous life style as well. When kept under herbivorous conditions, the gut becomes long and spiral. Under carnivore conditions, the gut becomes shorter. In a few species, some tadpoles turn cannibalistic under harsh conditions and feed on other tadpoles living in the pond.

Frog tadpoles, like their adult form, are eaten in certain regions of France (Charente-Maritime especially). Tadpole soup is a common dish amongst the Charentais but is relatively unknown outside their region.

Seasonal, please call for availability.

The European tree frogs (for instance Hyla arborea) are common in the middle and south of the continent, and range into Asia and the north of Africa. The species become very noisy on the approach of rain, and are sometimes kept in confinement as a kind of barometer.

In North America there are many species of tree frog, including Hyla versicolor, a species of grey treefrog, and Hyla cinerea, the green tree frog. The spring peeper is also widespread in the eastern United States and commonly heard on summer and spring evenings.

The tree toad is a popular name for several of the Hylidae. Hyla versicolor is the changeable tree toad, Trachycephalus lichenatus is the lichened, and T. marmoratus the marbled tree toad.

A chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a type of domesticated bird which is often raised as a type of poultry. It is believed to be descended from the wild Indian and south-east Asian Red Junglefowl.

Chickens are the most commonly found bird in the world. The population in 2003 was 24 billion, according to the Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds.

Chicken egg incubation can successfully occur artificially as well. Nearly all chicken eggs will hatch after 21 days of good conditions - 98-100 degrees fahrenheit (38°C) and around 55% relative humidity (increase to 70% in the last three days of incubation to help soften egg shell.)[citation needed] Many commercial incubators are industrial sized with shelves holding tens of thousands of eggs at a time, with rotation of the eggs a fully automated process.

Home incubators are usually small boxes (styrofoam incubators are popular) and hold 50 eggs. Eggs must be turned three to five times each day, rotating at least 90 degrees. If eggs aren't turned, the embryo inside will stick to the shell and likely will be born with physical defects. This process is natural: hens will stand up three to five times a day and shift the eggs around with their beak.

Seasonal, please call for availability.

Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. The ducks are divided between several subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their relatives the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.

Seasonal, please call for availability.

Incubating:
Turning is most critical the first week of incubation. The more often you do it, the better. If you do not have an automatic turner, it is important you turn the eggs an odd number of times each day. This is important so you do not leave the eggs in the same position each night which is the longest period of time they go without turning each day. Just draw a line on the eggs. When you turn the eggs, the line should either be on the top or the bottom of the egg. Most eggs are incubated on their sides in small incubators. If they are raised at all, it is important that the large end with the air sac be up.

These fish are native to the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico, where it has long been known that they feed readily on the aquatic larval and pupal stages of mosquitoes.

They are remarkably hardy, surviving in waters of very low oxygen saturations, high salinities (including twice that of seawater), and high temperatures; they can even survive in waters up to 42°C for short periods.

For these reasons, this species may now be the most widespread freshwater fish in the world, having been introduced as a biocontrol to tropical and temperate countries in both hemispheres, and then spreading further both naturally and through even further introductions.

The goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish. A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/olive/brown carp native to east Asia (first domesticated in China) that was introduced to Europe in the late 17th century.

It may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 6.6 pounds (3.0 kg), although this is rare; most individual goldfish grow to under half this size. In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 20 years (the world record is 49 years); however, most household goldfish generally only live six to eight years.

The guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poecilidae family (females 3 centimetres long, males 2 centimetres long) and like all other members of the family, is live-bearing. It prefers a hard water aquarium and can withstand levels of salinity up to 150% sea water (58 ppt sodium chloride), which has led to them being occasional included in marine tropical community tanks, as well as more usually in freshwater tropical tanks. Its most famous characteristic is its propensity for breeding.

In its natural environment in South America and the Caribbean, guppies are often found as isolated breeding populations. In its native range, the guppy can be found in small streams and ponds of virtually any size. In Trinidad they are colloquially known as "millions" because of their fecundity.

In many countries with tropical, subtropical and mediterranea climates where guppies were not originally present, they have escaped from captivity and established naturally breeding ("feral") populations. It has also been introduced to some areas to keep down the mosquito population and help fight malaria, usually with mixed or negative results to the local ecosystem.

Polychrotidae (American Chameleon) is a family of lizards commonly known as Anoles. There are four genera: Anolis, Norops, Phenacosaurus and Polychrus. They are frequently and incorrectly called chameleons or geckos, although they are not biologically classified within or closely related to either of these groups. These misconceptions are likely due to their ability to alter their skin color and run up walls, respectively.

Anoles are small and common lizards that can be found throughout the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and various other regions of the western world. A large majority of them sport a green coloration, including the only species native to North America, the aptly named Green anole, although the green anole can change its color based on its mood and surroundings. Anoles are an exorbitantly diverse and plentiful group of lizards. There are currently well over 300 known species. The knight, green, bark, and Cuban brown anoles can all be found in the United States, primarily in Florida, although the most prevalent of these species by far is the Cuban brown anole, which has pushed the native green (or "Carolina") anole population farther north. All species of anole in the U.S. except the green anole were introduced through eggs nested in imported plants. It is notable that while nearly all anoles can change their color, the extent and variations of this ability differ wildly throughout the individual anole species. For example, the green anole can change its color from a bright, leafy green to a dull brown color, while the Cuban brown can only change its shade of brown, along with the patterns on its back.

Slider turtles are among the most conspicuous and abundant of all basking turtles. In spring or fall, or any time the weather is mild and the sun is out, individuals or groups of slider turtles may rest on logs, stumps or rocks.

They are brown or olive green, usually with a prominent patch of yellow on the side of the head. The lower jaw is rounded. The shells of yellow-bellied slider turtles average in size from 5 to 8 inches; the record is about one foot. The yellow blotch behind the eye is the most conspicuous marking and is most prominent in juveniles and females. The yellow underside of the turtle's shell sometimes is marked with round dusky smudges; these markings may be reduced in older turtles. Also, adult males may become very dark.

Slider turtles are abundant in the ponds and streams of the Southeast. The yellow-bellied slider turtle is found in a wide variety of habitats, including Carolina bays, sloughs, sinkholes, oxbow lakes, swamps, rivers, lakes and ponds. Sometimes they travel over land between bodies of water.

The Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) is a reptile that is common in North America, and is a water turtle related to other water turtles such as sliders and cooters. The turtle lives in ponds, lakes, marshes, and in slow-moving rivers that have soft, muddy bottoms.

In the wild, this turtle lives from five to ten years; in captivity it can live over twenty years. The painted turtle spends most of its time in the water but often lies on floating logs in the sun, as well as on rocks or by the shore. During very cold weather painted turtles hibernate, burying themselves for months in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud acts as an insulator and helps to keep the turtle warm in harsh winter months.

These turtles make great pets since they reproduce quickly and pose no threat of becoming extinct.

The Painted Turtle is the only species in the genus Chrysemys. It is comprised of 4 sub-species.

The Revelation III

The NBMS 01 and NBMS 03 are similar except  that the 01 has 3 objectives and a disc diaphram. Whereas the 03 has a fourth (100X)objective an abbee condensor and a mechanical stage. Both have built in light sources din 4X,10X, and 40X objectives.  We have had very good success with both of these over the last 6 years in High Schools and Vocational Colleges

The pellet cycle is regular, regurgitating the remains when the digestive system has finished extracting the nutrition from the food. This is often done at a favourite roost. When an Owl is about to produce a pellet, it will take on a pained expression - the eyes are closed, the facial disc narrow, and the bird will be reluctant to fly. At the moment of expulsion, the neck is stretched up and forward, the beak is opened, and the pellet simply drops out without any retching or spitting movements.

Owl pellets differ from other birds of prey in that they contain a greater proportion of food residue. This is because an Owl's digestive juices are less acidic than in other birds of prey. Also, other raptors tend to pluck their prey to a much larger extent than Owls.

Now, a bird's stomach has two parts:

The first part is the glandular stomach or proventriculus, which produces enzymes, acids, and mucus that begin the process of digestion.

The second part is the muscular stomach, or gizzard. There are no digestive glands in the gizzard, and in birds of prey, it serves as a filter, holding back insoluble items such as bones, fur, teeth and feathers (more about this below).
The soluble, or soft parts of the food are ground by muscular contractions, and allowed to pass through to the rest of the digestive system, which includes the small and large intestine. The liver and pancreas secrete digestive enzymes into the small intestine where the food is absorbed into body. At the end of the digestive tract (after the large intestine) is the cloaca, a holding area for wastes and products from the digestive and urinary systems. The cloaca opens to the outside by means of the vent. It is interesting to note that birds (apart from the Ostrich) do not have a bladder. The excretion from the vent is largely made up of an acid which is the white part of a healthy dropping.

Several hours after eating, the indigestible parts (fur, bones, teeth & feathers that are still in the gizzard) are compressed into a pellet the same shape as the gizzard. This pellet travels up from the gizzard back to the proventriculus. It will remain there for up to 10 hours before being regurgitated. Because the stored pellet partially blocks the Owl's digestive system, new prey cannot be swallowed until the pellet is ejected. Regurgitation often signifies that an Owl is ready to eat again. When the Owl eats more than one prey item within several hours, the various remains are consolidated into one pellet.

Leeches are annelids comprising the subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater, terrestrial and marine leeches. Like their near relatives, the Oligochaeta, they share the presence of a clitellum. Like earthworms, leeches are hermaphrodites. The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, which is native to Europe, and its congeners have been used for clinical bloodletting for thousands of years.

All leech species are carnivorous. Some are predatory, feeding on a variety of invertebrates such as worms, snails, insect larvae, crustaceans, while a very few are haemophagic parasitic blood-sucking leeches, feeding on the blood of vertebrates such as amphibians (frogs,reptiles etc.), waterfowl, fish, and mammals. Given the opportunity, they will also feed on human blood. The most important predators on leeches are fish, aquatic insects, crayfish and other leeches specialized for predation on leeches.

Lumbricus terrestris is a large reddish worm native to Europe, but now also widely distributed elsewhere around the world (along with several other lumbricids), due to human introductions. In some areas where it has been introduced, it is a serious pest species, out-competing locally native worms.

Through much of Europe it is the largest naturally occurring species of earthworm, typically reaching 20-25cm long when extended (though in parts of southern Europe there are native species which are much larger). It has an unusual habit of copulating on the surface at night, which makes it more visible than most other earthworms.

The Common clam worm (Nereis succinea) is a widely distributed polychaete worm. It is often referred to as a ragworm or sandworm, or simply as the "clam worm", but these terms can all refer to any one of a number of other species of the genus Nereis (or indeed to other polychaetes). The name "common clam worm" is less ambiguous, but is also sometimes used for other Neries species such as N. virens.

The common clam worm can reach up to 15cm in length, but most specimens are smaller than this. It is brown coloured at the rear, and reddish-brown on the rest of its body. It has an identifiable head with four eyes, two sensory feelers or palps, and eight tentacles.

It is a freeswimming polychaete, scavenging on the bottom of shallow marine waters. It feeds on other worms and algae. To feed, it uses a proboscis, which has two hooks at the end, to grasp prey and draw it into its mouth. Clamworms are an important food source for bottom-feeding fish and crustaceans, though they can protect themselves by secreting a mucus substance that hardens to form a sheath around them.

During lunar phases in the spring and early summer, the clam worm undergoes "heteronenesis". Their parapodia enlarge so they can swim. The clamworms are then capable of releasing eggs and sperm. After they have released their egg or sperm, they die.

Planktonic larvae develop, grow into annelids and eventually sink to the bottom of the water.

Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are fast-moving venomous, predatory terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs. Chiefly nocturnal, centipedes are found primarily in tropical climates but are also widely distributed in temperate zones. Some species are highly venomous with extremely toxic venom on their claws which can cause death in humans.

As in the closely-related millipedes, they are highly segmented (15 to 173 segments), but with only one pair of walking legs per segment. Centipedes are dorso-ventrally flattened, and are among the fastest and most agile of arthropod predators.

The insect is believed to have originated from Africa, but had become established in the southern U.S. by the time that it was given its name.

The insect can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when someone enters a room, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is known to be very mobile, and it also has wings which allow it to be quite a capable flier.

Crayfish, sometimes called crawfish, or crawdads are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are closely related. They are found in bodies of fresh water that do not freeze to the bottom, and which have shelter against predators.

Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species such as the invasive Procambarus clarkii are more hardy. Some crayfish have been found living as much as 3 m (10 feet) underground.

Gooseneck barnacles are filter-feeding crustaceans that lives attached to hard surfaces of rocks and flotsam in the ocean intertidal zone. They are easily recognizable by their distinctive long and muscular stalk, which is edible and is considered a delicacy in several Mediterranean countries.

Some species of gooseneck barnacles are pelagic and are most frequently found on tidewrack on oceanic coasts. Unlike most other types of barnacles, intertidal gooseneck barnacles depend on water motion rather than the movement of their cirri for feeding, and are therefore found only on exposed or moderately exposed coasts. In Spain and Portugal they are known as percebes and there is a percebes festival in Galicia (on Spain's Atlantic coast) every summer.

Grasshoppers are herbivorous insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish them from bush crickets or katydids, they are sometimes referred to as short-horned grasshoppers. Species that change colour and behaviour at high population densities are called locusts.

The eastern lubber grasshopper, Romalea guttata, is often used in teaching laboratories as the introduction to insect anatomy.  Grasshoppers are relatively primitive, more or less typical insects.  Romalea is a large insect, with females (which are larger than males) reaching 75 mm in length and is easily dissected. It is a good example of general, relatively unspecialized insect anatomy.

The scorpion's body is divided into two main segments: the cephalothorax (also called the prosoma) and the abdomen/opisthosoma. The abdomen consists of the mesosoma and the metasoma.

Cephalothorax/prosoma: the scorpion's “head”, comprising the carapace, eyes, chelicerae (mouth parts), pedipalps (claw) and the four pairs of walking legs.

Mesosoma: the abdomen's first half, is made up of six segments. The first segment contains the sexual organs as well as a pair of vestigial and modified appendages forming a structure called the genital operculum. The second segment bears a pair of featherlike sensory organs known as the pectines; the final four segments each contain a pair of book lungs. The mesosoma is armoured with chitinous plates, the tergites plates upper surface and the sternites plates the lower surface.

Metasoma: the scopion's tail, comprising six segments (the first tail segment looks like a last mesosoman segment), the last containing the scopion's anus and bearing the telson (the sting). The telson, in turn, consists of the vesicle, which holds a pair of venom (poison) glands and the hypodermic aculeus, the vemon injecting barbex.

Cuticle: this makes a tough armour around the body. In some places it is covered with hairs that act like balance organs. An outer layer that makes them fluoresce green under ultraviolet light is called the hyaline layer. Newly molted scorpions do not glow until after their cuticle has hardened. The fluoresent hyaline layer can be intact in hundreds of millions of year-old fossil rocks.

The black widow spider (Latrodectus spp.) is a spider notorious for its neurotoxic venom. It is a large widow spider found throughout the world and commonly associated with urban habitats or agricultural areas.

True tarantulas are spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae (Greek for thera "wild animal, beast" + phos "light"). These spiders may also be known as bird spiders, monkey spiders, baboon spiders or rain spiders. They are characterized by having tarsi (feet) with two claws and claw tufts, called scopulae. Related families include the funnel-web spiders and the trap door spiders, which sometimes also get called tarantulas. The family Theraphosidae includes over 800 different species of tarantulas, divided over 12 subfamilies (formerly 13) and 11 genera.

They have a cartilaginous rod (notochord) which runs almost from tip to tail and a dorsal nerve cord but no brain. Their circulatory system is surprisingly fishlike, even though they have no heart. They also have simple fins and swim using S-shaped movements.

Named after a terrestrial flower, the anemone, sea anemones form a group of water-dwelling, filter feeding animals of the order Actinaria. As a cnidarian, the sea anemone is closely related to coral and jellyfish. Other close relations to the sea anemone are the solitary, tube-dwelling anemones and the hydras.

An anemone is basically the typical polyp: a small sac, attached to the bottom by an adhesive foot, with a column shaped body ending in an oral disc. The mouth is in the middle of the oral disc, surrounded by tentacles armed with many cnidocytes, which are unique cells that function as a defense and as a means to capture prey.

The mouth is located underneath the sea star on the oral or ventral surface, while the anus is located on the top of the animal. The spiny upper surface covering the species is called the aboral or dorsal surface. On the aboral surface there is a structure called the madreporite, which acts as a water filter and supplies the sea star's water vascular system with water to move.

Additional parts like cribriform organs present exclusively in Porcellanasteridae are used to generate current in the burrows made by these infaunal sea stars.

Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata, from the Greek for spiny skin) are a phylum of marine animals found at all depths.

This phylum appeared in the early Cambrian Period and contains about 7,000 living species and 13,000 extinct ones. Five or six classes (six counting Concentricycloidea) are alive today:

• Asteroidea (asteroids, starfish, or sea stars): about 1,500 species that capture prey for their own food.
• Concentricycloidea (sea daisies), notable for their unique water vascular system; two species; recently merged into Asteroidea.
• Crinoidea (crinoids, feather stars or sea lilies): about 600 species that are suspension feeders.
• Echinoidea (echinoids, sea urchins and sand dollars): notable for their movable spines; about 1,000 species.
• Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers): elongated animals resembling slugs; about 1,000 species.
• Ophiuroidea (brittle stars and basket stars), the physically largest of echinoderms; about 1,500 species

The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. Snails are found in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments. Most are of herbivorous nature, though a few land species and many marine species may be omnivores or carnivores. Other gastropods, which lack a conspicuous shell, are commonly called slugs, and are scattered throughout groups that primarily include snails.

While most people are familiar with only terrestrial snails, the majority of snails are not terrestrial. Snails with lungs belong to the group Pulmonata, while those with gills form a paraphyletic group.

The term mussel is used for several families of bivalve mollusks inhabiting lakes, rivers, and creeks, as well as intertidal areas along coastlines worldwide.

The freshwater mussels (several allied families, the largest being the Unionidae) and saltwater mussels (family Mytilidae) are not thought to be immediate relatives and are grouped in different subclasses, despite some similarities in appearance.

Squid are exclusively carnivorous, feeding on fish and other invertebrates. Squid usually have two elongated tentacles especially for the capture of food. They are voracious, fast-moving and fast-growing predators, and can be hugely abundant in productive seas. Most live for one year, dying after spawning, although some of the giant species may live for two years or more.

Ascariasis is a debilitating human disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Perhaps as many as one quarter of the world's people are infected, and ascariasis is particularly prevalent in tropical regions and in areas of poor hygiene. Other species of the genus Ascaris are parasitic and can cause disease in domestic animals.

Infection occurs through ingestion of food contaminated with fecal matter containing Ascaris eggs. The larvae hatch, burrow through the intestine, reach the lungs, and finally migrate up the respiratory tract. From there they are then reswallowed and mature in the intestine, growing up to 30 cm (12 in.) in length and anchoring themselves to the intestinal wall.

Infections are usually accompanied by inflammation, fever, and diarrhea, and serious problems may develop if the worms migrate to other parts of the body.

The sponges or poriferans (from the Greek poros "pore" and ferro "to bear") are animals of the phylum Porifera. They are primitive, sessile, mostly marine, water dwelling filter feeders that pump water through their bodies to filter out particles of food matter. Sponges are among the simplest of animals. With no true tissues (parazoa), they lack muscles, nerves, and internal organs. Their similarity to colonial choanoflagellates shows the probable evolutionary jump from unicellular to multicellular organisms.

This sponge demonstrates the sycon body plan in which the wall of the body has been folded into a series of internal and external canals.  Water enters the sponge through a series of incurrent canals and passes through internal pores called prosopyles into the radial canals, which are lined with flagellated collar cells known as choanocytes.  It is the action of these choanocytes that keeps water moving through the sponge.  From the radial canals, water then enters the central spongocoel through pores called apopyles to exit through a single opening called an osculum.

A lamprey is a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth, with which most species bore into the flesh of other fishes to suck their blood. In zoology, lampreys are not considered to be true fish because of their vastly different morphology and physiology.

Lampreys live mostly in coastal and fresh waters, although at least one species, Geotria australis, probably travels significant distances in the open ocean, as is evidenced by the lack of reproductive isolation between Australian and New Zealand populations, and the capture of a specimen in the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica.

Amphiuma is a genus of aquatic salamanders, the only genus within the family Amphiumidae. They are also known as "congo eels" or "congo snakes", which are zoologically incorrect designations.

Amphiumas have an elongated body, generally grey-black in color. They do have legs, but they are very small, while amphiumas can be up to 1 m long, but their legs measure only 2 cm. Therefore, they can resemble eels.

Larvae have external gills. After four months these external gills disappear and the lungs begin to work. One pair of gill slits is retained and never disappears, so the metamorphosis remains incomplete.

Bull frogs are large amphibians and can grow to a body length of 6 inches (15 cm) with a weight of 1.5 lb (750 g). Females are typically larger than males. They are generally varying shades of green or brown, with dark brown, dark green, or black blotching and a yellow or white underside.

Leopard frogs, which are also called meadow frogs and grass frogs, are a collection of so-called true frogs within the genus Rana. Once abundant in North America and Canada, their population has declined in recent years due to pollution and deforestation. Leopard frogs are often used as environmental indicator species because of their heightened sensitivity to chemical pollutants found in the air and water and are commonly used as dissection specimens in biology classrooms.

Leopard frogs are recognized by their green or brown coloration with distinct light-edged dark spots across the back and pure white underside. They also have a characteristic line of raised glandular skin, called the dorsolateral ridge, extending from each eye to the groin.

The Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is a species of aquatic salamander found throughout the northeastern United States, and parts of Canada. Mudpuppies prefer shallow water with lots of places to hide, but have been found at depths of up to 90 feet.

The mating season is late autumn however eggs are not laid until late spring when 50 to 100 eggs are deposited in a nest cavity under a rock or other object. It takes 1 to 2 months for the eggs to hatch and 4 to 6 years for the young to reach maturity. Mudpuppies may live for up to 20 years. The common mudpuppy is nocturnal, but can be active in the day in muddy or weed-choked waters. It is carnivorous and feeds on fish, fish eggs, crayfish, insects, and molluscs.

The doves are the 308 species of near passerine birds in the order Columbiformes. The terms dove and pigeon are used interchangeably, although smaller species are more likely to be called doves.

The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons. The bird is also known by the names of feral pigeon or domestic pigeon. In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon".

The species was commonly known as Rock Dove until the British Ornithologists' Union and the American Ornithologists' Union changed the official English name of the bird in their regions to Rock Pigeon.

Sharks are a group (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body, with normally 5, but up to 7 (depending on species) gill slits along the side of, or beginning slightly behind, the head (in some species, a modified slit called a spiracle, is located just behind the eye), dermal denticles covering the body to protect from damage, parasites and improve fluid dynamics, and rows of replaceable teeth in the mouth.

Sharks have keen olfactory senses, with some species able to detect as little as one part per million of blood in seawater. They are even more attracted to the chemicals found in the gut of many species, and often linger near or in sewage outfalls. Some species, such as Nurse sharks, have external barbels that greatly increase their ability to sense prey. The short duct between the anterior and posterior nasal openings are not fused like in bony fish

Skates are cartilaginous fishes belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. They are carnivorous, feeding mostly on smaller fish and crustaceans. They have flat pectoral fins continuous with their head, two dorsal fins and a short, spineless tail.

They are benthic (bottom-dwelling) and are found throughout the world from continental shelves down to the abyssal zone. They are oviparous fishes, laying eggs in a horny case known as a mermaid's purse (PICTURED TO THE RIGHT). It is thought that egg-laying in skates is an evolutionary reversal, that is, skates are descended from ovoviviparous ancestors.

The common skate, Dipturus batis, is the largest found in British waters. It has a long, pointed snout. However, the most common skate in British seas is the thornback ray, Raja clavata. They are frequently caught by trawling.

Dasyatids swim with a "flying" motion, propelled by motion of their large pectoral fins (commonly referred to as "wings").

Their stinger is a razor-sharp, barbed or serrated cartilaginous spine which grows from the ray's whip-like tail (like a fingernail). It is coated with a toxic venom. This gives them their common name of stingrays, but that name can also be used to refer to any poisonous ray.

The cat, also called the domestic cat or house cat, is a small carnivorous mammal of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. Its most immediate pre-domestication ancestor is believed to be the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica. The cat has been living in close association with humans for somewhere between 3,500 and 8,000 years.

There are dozens of breeds of cat, some hairless or tailless as a result of mutations, and they exist in a variety of different colors. They are skilled predators and have been known to hunt over one thousand different species for food. They are also intelligent animals, and some can be trained or learn by themselves to manipulate simple mechanisms such as lever-handled doors and flush toilets.

They communicate by calling ("meow"/"miaou"), purring, hissing, growling, chirping, clicking, grunting, and about a hundred other vocalizations and body language. Cats in colonies use a mix of vocalizations and body language to communicate with each other.

Because the domestication of the cat is relatively recent, cats may also still live effectively in the wild, often forming small colonies.

Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. They have been domesticated and raised as livestock by some peoples for meat (called pork) as well as for leather. Their bristly hairs are also traditionally used for brushes. Wild pigs continue to fill these functions in certain parts of the world.

Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. On a small farm, or in a large household, they can be fed kitchen scraps as part or all of their diet. In the wild, they are foraging animals. Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries. They are also fattened to be eaten as ham and other types of meat, such as bacon.

Pigs are highly trainable animals, and some, such as the Asian pot-bellied pig, are kept as pets. A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 animals. Occasionally, in captivity, pigs may eat their own young.

A rat is any one of about 56 different species of small, omnivorous rodents belonging to the genus Rattus.

The best-known rat species are the Black Rat Rattus rattus and the Brown Rat R. norvegicus. The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most of their relatives, the Old World mice, but seldom weigh over 500 grams in the wild.

The common term "rat" is also used in the names of other small mammals which are not true rats. Examples include the North American pack rats, a number of species loosely called kangaroo rats, and a number of others. Other rats such as the Bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis are murine rodents related to the true rats, but are not members of the genus Rattus. The widely distributed and problematic commensal species of rats represent a minority in this diverse genus.

The most distinctive characteristic of the bowfin is its very long dorsal fin consisting of 45 to 50 rays, and running from mid-back to the base of the tail. The caudal fin is a single lobe. They can grow up to 1 meter in length, and weigh 7 kg. Not a very good food fish compared to many other freshwater species, they are often considered "trash" fish by sportsmen who catch them, and are scorned for their voracious appetite in eating both gamefish and panfish of more desirable species.

Perca is the genus of fish referred to as perch or yellow perch, a group of freshwater fish belonging to the family Percidae. Perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to the largest order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning perch, and the Latin forma meaning shape. Many other species of fish are also called "perch."

Perch have "rough" or ctenoid scales. When looking through a microscope, the scale look like a plate with growth rings and spikes on the top edges. Externally the anatomy of perch is simple enough. On the dorsal side of the fish, there consists a upper maxilla and lower mandible for the mouth, a pair of nostrils, and two lidless eyes. On the posterior sides are the operculum, which are used to protect the gills. Also there is the lateral line system which is sensitive to vibrations in the water. They have a pair of pectoral and pelvic fins. On the anterior end of the fish, there are two dorsal fins. The first one is spiny and the second is soft. There is also an anal fin, which is also considered spiny, and a caudal fin. Also there is a cloacal opening right behind the anal fin. All perciform fish share the perch's general morphology.

Snakes (from Old English snaca, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European base snag- or sneg-, "to crawl"), also known as ophidians, are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. There are also several species of legless lizard which superficially resemble snakes, but are not otherwise related to them. A love of snakes is called ophiophilia, a fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia (or snakephobia). A specialist in snakes is an ophiologist.

An old synonym for snake is serpent (which comes from Old French, and ultimately from *serp-, "to creep"); in modern usage this usually refers to a mythic or symbolic snake, and information about such creatures will be found under serpent (symbolism).

The first turtles are believed to have existed in the Mesozoic, around 200 million years ago. Their exact ancestry is disputed. It was believed that they are the only surviving branch of the ancient clade Anapsida, which includes groups such as procolophonoids, millerettids, protorothyrids and pareiasaurs.

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the crown group Chelonia), most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilagenous shell developed from their ribs. The order of Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species, the earliest turtles being known from the early Triassic Period, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups, and a much more ancient group than the lizards and snakes.

About 300 species are alive today. Some species of turtles are highly endangered.