Sayan Adhikari

Grasshoppers are one of the most ancient species on planet earth, living even before dinosaurs existed.

Grasshoppers are herbivorous insects that live under plant cover. They come under the Caelifera, which is a suborder of the order Orthoptera comprising all grasshopper and grasshopper-like insects.

You will find grasshoppers almost everywhere around the world except the extreme poles where vegetation is scarce. They can be found in different regions of the world like tropical wetlands, semi-arid locations, and all grasslands. Grasshoppers cannot survive through extreme winters as adults. Only a grasshopper egg can survive the season unharmed.

Grasshoppers eat plants, feeding both throughout the day and night. Grasshoppers and crickets also eat smaller insects.

Like most other insects, a grasshopper's body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Their hind legs have a powerful spring mechanism that helps them to jump high spontaneously. They leap higher and land farther away to protect themselves from surrounding predators or just to find a new spot to stay.

Unlike other insects, grasshoppers do not go through complete metamorphosis. Grasshoppers hatch out of an egg into a nymph.

The nymph then turns into an adult. A grasshopper transforms into an adult insect after its body goes through five molts or shedding cycles. Located in the first segment of the abdomen and tucked under the wings, a grasshopper has its tympanal organs which are attached to the thorax.

Grasshoppers can hear through them. These insects receive their sense of vision through their compound eyes, and the sense of light intensity is understood through their simple eyes.

Grasshoppers smell through their antennas. They have large eyes which are colored to camouflage. Some species feed on toxic plants and store the toxins in their bodies. They use the toxins for protection against predators.

Female grasshoppers are larger than males and lay their eggs underground. Male grasshoppers sometimes have a special structure underneath their wings that helps them to stridulate, i.e., to make sounds in order to sing.

Female grasshoppers do not stridulate as much as their male counterparts. A pair of powerful hind legs help them to jump and flee from danger or find a new place for food.

Are you interested to find information on other insects as well? Check out our articles on can fleas fly and can cockroaches fly?

The domestic canary (Serinus canaria) is a popular song-bird originating from the Canary Islands in Spain, and Azores and Madeira Islands in Portugal.

The canary gets its name from the Canary Islands in Spain where they were named after the large dogs kept in the islands. In Latin, a dog is called 'canis',hence the name canary.

These birds were introduced in the world all across Europe in the late 1500s by Spanish sailors. The sailors found out about their remarkable singing capability and soon the canary became a popular cage bird in the courts of English and Spanish kings for centuries.

Canaries are birds of the finch family. Each canary is bred for a particular skill, color, or appearance. Male canaries sing to attract mates during mating season. The Waterslager, American Singer, and German roller breeds are known to be excellent singers. Other notable breeds include the Yorkshire, Hertz Mountain, and Norwich.

The wild canary is yellowish-green in color. Domestic canaries come in an assortment of colors because of extensive breeding. They are available in brown, orange, white, bright red, and yellow.

Do you want to find more interesting facts about different birds? Check out our other articles on birds with long beaks and birds that sing at night.