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I-Zone Critters
Turtles
We have had our turtlesaround for over five years. During the summer they live in the pond inthe Science courtyard but during the winter they live on the primaryside of the I-Zone. 

One of our turtles is a Red-Eared Slider (Chrysemys scripta elegans). Their name comes from the thick red stripe behind their eyes and theirhabit of sliding quickly into the water when startled.  Femalered-eared sliders have shorter claws than males and grow larger.  Doyou think the I-Zone red-eared slider is a male or female?

The other I-Zone turtle is a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta). Painted turtles are named for their colorful plastrons.  Paintedturtles live in ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers from southernCanada to northern Mexico.  They eat plants, insects, worms, tadpoles,small fish, and crustaceans.  One of the I-Zone turtles' favoritetreats is minnows.

Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
Noteveryone can say they have a cockroach for a pet like we can. Iwouldn't call them cuddly, but they are very friendly. Spend some timewith them and get to know them. Where are their favorite places to hangout? What do you notice about their behavior? Read about them at the the Pet Place and from the Pet Arthropod Pages

Northern Pike
The I-Zone recently acquired a northern pike (Esox lucius)from the Bell Museum of Natural History.  Northern pikes are oftenconfused with the sportsman's grand prize, muskellunge, but can easilybe identified by the light spots on their dark bodies.  Muskies havedark spots on light bodies.  Northerns are ambush predators that eatsmall fish like perch and suckers, frogs, and crayfish.  They can befound in almost all Minnesota lakes and streams.

Long-nose Gar
The long-nose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)is one of Minnesota's most distinctive fish.  Their long, thin bodiesare green/brown with spots on their fins.  They are able to "gulp"oxygen from the surface of the water and can live in warm water whereother fish can't survive.  Gar are aggressive predators of other fish. The long-nose gar in the I-Zone eats small minnows.

Bess Beetles
Bess beetles (Odontotaenius disjunctus)belong to the order of insects called Coleoptera.  Coleoptera is thelargest group of organisms, including ladybugs, fireflies, and darklingbeetles.  All members of the Coleoptera order have a hard shell, threebody parts, and a shield-like forewing.  Bess beetles have strongmandibles that help them chew through wood.  They live in decaying woodand eat fungus.

Composting Worms
Compostingorganic waste using worms and microoranisms is called vermicomposting. The resulting humus is nutrient-rich and can be added to gardens orhouseplants to help them grow.  Composting saves organic waste likeapple cores and wilted lettuce from being thrown in the trash andeventually ending up in a landfill.  The worms in the I-Zone are calledred wigglers.  They are smaller than night crawlers used for fishing and are less affected by having their burrows turned over.

Mealworms
Likemost insects, mealworms go through metamorphosis.  Mealworms are thelarva stage of the darkling beetle and go through four life stages. They start as eggs, hatch as larvae, curl into pupae, and come out ofpupation as adult beetles.  Mealworms are often found in pet stores andsold as food for pet reptiles and birds.  Mealworms eat carrots,potatoes, and apple slices.

Bat Cave Cockroaches
Bat cave cockroaches (Simandoa conserfariam)are one of the largest species of cockroach.  They have wings and canflutter, but do not fly.  They eat fruits and vegetables.  Immature batcave cockroaches are black and do not have wings.