Roly Polies!

I called them "Carpenters" as a kid, but "Roly Polies" is way cuter. Their latin name is Armadillidium, because they look like little Armadillos. The most common name is "Pill Bug", but they are not actually bugs! They are crustaceans, like shrimp or lobsters. Most crustaceans live in water, and even though these tiny little guys live on land, they like keeping moist too. They live in damp and dark places.



Cute and Tiny!

Roly Polies are not insects for a few reasons:

1. They have seven pairs of legs (bugs have three pairs)

2. They have more than three body segments

3. No waxy covering on their bodies

These cute animals like to munch on bark, algae, and plants, especially decaying ones, like leaves that have fallen off a plant. They help break down plants into small pieces and into nutrients for the plants to use. This means they recycle the dead plants into food!

More cool facts about Roly Polies:

• They don't pee!
• They breathe through gills
• Their blood is blue
• They roll into a ball when poked!