Isopod Investigations

Isopods were fun animals to investigate in kindergarten.  They are easy to find in our environment.  Students were able to learn about Pill Bugs and Sow Bugs. 

Sow bugs are land crustaceans which look very similar to pill bugs, at least at first glance. Sowbugs are small crustaceans with oval bodies when viewed from above. They have 7 pairs of legs, and antennae which reach about half the body length. Most are slate gray in color.

The pill bug on the other hand has a rounder back, from side to side, and a deeper body, from back to legs. When disturbed, it frequently rolls into a tight ball, with its legs tucked inside.

Sow bugs have gills which need constant moisture, so they tend to live in moister northwest climates. They are primarily nocturnal, and eat decaying leaf litter and vegetable matter. They may also feed on the tips of young plants, so can be considered pests, but they also help the environment by breaking up decaying plant matter and help speed up the recycling of the nutrients they contain.

Iso=equal   pod=legs

 Here are some pictures of our investigations.  

This Sow Bug has a pouch with babies in it.  

This is a Pill Bug.  It is sometimes referred to as a rollie-pollie bug.