The Zone Without A Backbone

Phylum:

Stimuli:

Arthropods respond to touch, light, temperature, sound, moisture, and other animals.

General Characteristics:

Some characteristics of arthropods are that they have body segments, antennas, a head and tail end, an exoskeleton, and they are relatively small.
Their exoskeleton protects them, prevents evaporation, and it supports they're body. Arthropods molt their exoskeleton so they can grow bigger and grow a bigger exoskeleton. Exoskeletons are made out of chitin.
Arthropods' jointed appendages are highly specialized, like legs, wings, mouth parts, and antennas.
Some arthropods have three body segments, the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The head and the thorax make up the cephalothorax.
Arthropods have an open circulatory system.
There are over 1,000,000 species of arthropods known to man.

Reproduction:

Crustaceans:

Crustaceans have 2 or 3 different body segments. They have 5 or more pairs of legs. Crustaceans have 2 pairs of antennae. Crustaceans live in oceans, freshwater lakes, rivers, and even long-lasting puddles. Crustaceans are scavengers, carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Crustaceans get oxygen by breathing through gills. Crustaceans move by swimming walking and crawling. Some examples of crustaceans are lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and even crayfish.

Arachnids:

Arachnids have only 2 body sections. They have 4 pairs of legs. Arachnids have no antennas. They live on water and oceans, and on dry land. Arachnids eat by injecting venom into their prey, then they suck it up with their straw-like mouth. Arachnids breathe with book lungs and spiracles. Arachnids walk and jump to move. Some examples are the silk spider, mites, scorpions, and ticks.

Insects:

Insects have three different body sections. Insects have three total pairs of legs but only one pair of antennae. Insects can live in the ground, on the ground, in the air and in the water. Insects eat anything that is or once was alive. They eat leaves, nectar, plant products, and animals' blood and dung. Insects breathe through spiracles. They move by walking flying jumping and crawling. Some examples of insects are grasshoppers and cicadas.

Centipedes/Millipedes:

Centipedes and millipedes have 2 body sections. They have many pairs of legs along with only one pair of antennae. All centipedes and millipedes live in every moist place on land. Centipedes are predators. They inject their venom into their prey. Millipedes are scavengers so they eat dead and decaying items. Both centipedes and millipedes breathe using spiracles. They both walk and crawl as a way of movement. Some examples are a centipede.

Metamorphasis:

Most Arthropods go through a process of metamorphosis, which means an animal's body undergoes dramatic changes in form during its life cycle. There are 2 different types of metamorphosis; complete and gradual.
In complete metamorphosis, the eggs hatch into a larva, the larva grows into a pupa, which then grows into an adult which then lays more eggs.
In gradual metamorphosis, eggs hatch into a nymph, the nymph grows into a larger nymph, which then grows into an adult who will lay eggs.

Importance of Arthropods:

Arthropods are important for many reasons. They are important because they are a food source for us, they carry and cause diseases; like malaria and Lyme disease. Arthropods can destroy crops which will in turn affect the globe's economy, but some pollinate plants so we have fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Some arthropods are scavengers so they eat and break down dead materials so we don't have to live in the disgusting smell.

Hooray Arthropods

*The zoo filled with creepy and cool invertebrates.