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Licking Eyeballs, Shedding Tails-It’s Bug Zoo U
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Tuesday, May 1, 2018
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Zach Davis could use some eye drops for Melon, his white eyelash crested gecko.

The species does not have eyelids and so it must use its long tongue to moisten its eyes and remove sleep specks from the Sandman and other debris.

Davis described some of the unique attributes of his pet Saturday at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden’s Bug Zoo U (University).

The species, thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994 in New Caledonia, has small claws that help it climb. It also has a tail that breaks away when caught by a predator. Once lost it will not grow back.

Davis was among a dozen proud pet owners who shared an endless source of fascinating trivia with adults and children alike at the garden’s annual Zoo U.

Jay Parker’s leopard gecko, for instance, does not have the mechanisms to lose its tail. And that’s good for it, as it stores extra fat in its tail.

Paige deShields showed off her millipedes, which go by such names as Pina Colada and Tootsie Roll.

A Florida Ivory millipede with black and white stripes, Pina Colada doesn’t secrete stinky stuff if you handle it, deShields said.

“Why, I don’t know,” she added.

DeShields began raising an aquarium full of millipedes after boredom led her to research which bugs make the best pets. Though they can cost $50, including shipping, they live together well so you don’t need a lot of them, she said.

“They live a long time—10 years, maybe 15. And all you need is a little dead wood and greens for them to be happy, although I sometimes give them cucumbers and apples as treats.”

The substance they secrete can sting and even temporarily discolor the skin. Large tropical millipedes can shoot venom in predators’ eyes.

“They’re just kind of cool—they provide food for birds and they’re decomposers so they help the environment,” deShields said.

Ann Christensen brought her a rose-haired tarantula named Hildegard for youngsters to hold and pet

“How do you know it’s a spider? It has eight legs,” Christensen said.

And—get this!—most of them have eight eyes, as well, she added.

Each of the eyes has a different function. The ones in the center are used to detect the size, shape and color of an object. Those on the sides are used to detect motion.

Hildegard is probably 20 years old and could live to 30. If she were a boy, she might only live to 9 or 10 years of age.

“My favorite is the Mexican red-kneed tarantula because they’re so docile. But they’re endangered because so many people are hunting them,” Christensen said. “Rose-haired spiders are not known as the most friendly spiders, but Hildegard is friendly. If she were to bite she’d get up on her hind legs. If she were to do that, just get away!”

Christensen recounted how a Bellevue resident with arachnophobia once called her when she lived north of Ketchum, wondering if there’s any way her tarantula could get out.

There’s only one spider in this area that could hurt someone, and that’s the Black Widow, Christensen said.

“She never leaves her web so all you need do is leave her alone,” she added.

The hobo spider, which can be found in Hailey, can bite if threatened. But their bites are not known to be fatal.

“Spiders like Hildegard have been around since the dinosaurs—she just has a little venom and what she has couldn’t hurt a human. If a cat or dog were to chase her, she might shed her hairs, which resemble fish hooks. If a pet were to breathe them in, it could kill them,” she added.

Christensen coached a little boy who was wasn’t sure if he wanted to hold the spider.

“Why don’t you touch her with one finger first to see if you’re okay with it?” she said. “We don’t want her to get hurt if you were to drop her.”

She paused.

“I would never put my hand over her head because it would scare her—she’d think a bird was coming to get her.”

Some spiders make a beautiful white silky blanket and lie on their back when they need to change their skin, she said, producing a silk blanket she’s saved for years. They then unzip their skin all the way around.

Christensen told of watching baby spiders hatch after an early spring rain while living in Marin County. The spiders then climbed up a tree or shrub where the wind caught their silk and carried them for what might have been hundreds of miles. You can find spiders in the ocean or even on Himalayan peaks because of their ability to do this, she said.

 “People have wanted to raise baby spiders for silk,” she said. “But you can’t raise baby spiders together because they eat each other.”

The Bug Zoo is free to the public through Thursday, May 3.

HERE’S MORE DIRT ON BUG ZOO CRITTERS:

The uromastyx lizard, found in the Middle East and Northern Africa, boasts spikes on its spiny tail and loves seeds and sprouts.

Boris the Python can shed his skin monthly.

The Box turtle has a domed shell that’s hinged at bottom so it can close it tightly if threatened.

Flash Gordon, a tortoise from southern Europe, smells with his throat to determine which plants would be good to eat. He hibernates in leaves, waking up in February to mate. He may live up to 90 years.

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