It would be a shame if the inhabitants of the leaf-cutter-ant farm mistook that flat green thing on a nearby branch for something good to eat. It’s their new neighbor, a giant shield mantis, which looks exactly like a leaf if you don’t count those enormous bug eyes out front. The mantis, which is about six inches long, and the leaf-cutter-ant colony are among an infestation of new insect residents brought to the Victoria Bug Zoo in December 2007 from the Amazon. New, too, is a canopy grasshopper with bright red legs, from Trinidad, some exotic katydids and two yellow and black millipedes.
The zoo houses 2 million ants and about 70 species of swarming, squirming, crawling leaping, flying, hissing wildlife from all over the world in a two-room storefront just a few blocks from the famous Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria. Over the past decade, thousands of bug-loving kids -and a few squeamish parents-have visited the zoo to learn about insect romance and potty habits from knowledgeable guides who lead tours every day of the week. The millipedes are by far the crowd favorite at this creepy-crawly version of a petting zoo. Kids and a few parents fight for the chance to don a thick, black Pancho Villa-style mustache. "We're famous for millipede mustaches more than anything else, " says Carol Maier, who started the zoo in 1997. "And there's always a whole lot of bug holding going on." You think having a wormy millipede stretch its bazillion legs across your upper lip is creepy and beyond disgusting? Nope. It's thickly, not slimy, and it wouldn't think of taking a nip from a lip.
The new canopy grasshoppers are about five inches long "and really are lovely," Maier says. "Red legs with big jumping hind legs. They live in the canopy of the jungle, hence the name. We've been breeding them in captivity for a few years, but the eggs took about three years to hatch this time. We had all but given up on them and then one day, puff, 200 baby grasshoppers to take care of."
Many of the bugs are safe enough for kids to handle, but the stingers and biters aren't allowed out to play when folks comes to visit. The new Sydney funnel-web spider, a native of Australia, has a four-inch leg-span and a toxic bite. "She doesn't spin a web," says Maier. "She hunts."
The tarantula's bite isn't deadly, but it is painful, and some spiders may shoot spiny hairs that irritate eyes or mucous membranes toward anything they deem threatening, so the zoo staff handles them with care. And stinkbugs do cause a stink if they feel endangered. The bugs don't take up much space, only a couple bedroom-size chambers. Clear plastic tubes meander up, down and across the walls of one room, a see-through ant farm that Maier bills as the largest in Canada. Assorted mantises, millipedes, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and cockroaches occupy the other room. Insect life and culture may be puzzling to humans, but it isn't as disgusting as the kids would sometimes like the old folks to think.
It's a myth, for instance, that female mantises always bite the heads off the males after mating. It happens, but usually only in captivity and if they don't have enough to eat. He's just another bug or snack-to her.
News of the fun is getting around. public broadcasting camera crews shot footage that was aired in the summer of 2008. Maier didn't know exactly what footage they were planning to show at the time of filming. But it's a cinch the cameraman would have focused on a millipede trying its best to help a 4-year-old grow a thick, black bandito mustache.
More Information
At Victoria's bug zoo the dangerous bugs and insects aren't allowed out-not so much because they're a threat to the children but because the creatures need to be protected from the young visitors! For example, kids can get excited and drop an insect in the case of a tarantula, that can cause a broken spider leg, which can be fatal-to the spider.
Grammar
It's their new neighbor, a giant shield mantis which looks exactly like a leaf if you don't count those enormous bug eyes out front!
out front=that are out on the front of its face.
There is a "for sale" sign out front.
I'll see you at the theater; we'll meet out front.
Vocabulary
inhabitant (n)- someone or something live somewhere.
That old house looks like it hasn't had any inhabitants for 50 years.
infestation (n)-refer to a large amount of something going altogether at the same time toward the same place.植物，昆虫，寄生虫大量出入或搔扰，搅乱，大量侵袭．
The restaurant's rat infestation seriously damaged its reputation around town.
*An infestation of rats in the building caused the bureau of public health to shut it down.
*It's hard to ease the pain and the itching caused a flea infestation.
hiss (v)-Vivian screamed in fear when the snake hissed at her.向她发出＂呲呲＂声．
*The snake hissed to threaten its enemy.
*The steam hissed loudly because the pipe was broken.
squeamish (adj) －易作呕的，爱挑剔的，神经质的，有洁癖的．容易受到惊吓的．
While the thought of eating insects makes most people feel squeamish, it makes Bill hungry.
*This horror movie is definitely not for the squeamish.
*Sean is too squeamish to be a doctor. He feels faint when he sees blood.
creepy (adj)-The creepy old house looked like it came right out of a horror movie.毛骨悚然
slimy (adj)-thickly, runny condition. 粘糊糊的，质地粘粘的，泥泞的
After handling all those fish, Peter's hands were extremely slimy.
*The fish has a slimy texture but tastes delicious.
*This trail becomes really slimy after it rains, so be careful if you go hiking.
*The eggs were covered with some sort of slimy substance.
captivity (n)-拘禁俘虏，拘束，cap－抓住的意思
Animals that have grown up in captivity often have difficulty adjusting to life in the wild.
*The hostages were held in captivity for over 10 hours.人质
*Animals that were raised in captivity might not survive in the wild.
toxic (adj)-Large amounts of chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats.毒的，有毒性的
*The toxic waste of nuclear facilities needs to be professionally handled.
*The toxic effect of alcohol nearly took his life.
*When the paint was tested toxic substances were found in it.
deem (v)-considered认为，被视为
After deeming the project unnecessary, the organization cut its funding.
*Since this area is deemed dangerous, only authorized persons can enter.
*He was deemed the most likely contestant to win the competition.参赛者
meander (v)-弯曲迂回，曲折，
The calm river meandering through the town forms a beautiful scene.
*The path meanders through the garden and leads to a cottage.
*The visitors can meander along the river.延着河边漫步．
assorted (adj)-large with variety.
For Valentine's Day, Simon got his wife a box of assorted chocolates.
cinch(n)-is easy to do. 很肯定的事或是简单的事．I can do that. It's a cinch.
As the most gifted actress in the entire school. Amy was a cinch for the lead role.
*Samuel is one of the top students of his class. Getting good grades is a cinch for him.
*It's a cinch that Patrick will win the swimming competition.
tarantula- a kind of spider, large size with hair.
mucous membranes- a thin layer of something come out of inner part of the body.
bandito (adj)-word from bandit.
Pancho Villa-style--a style like Pancho Villa,who is a Hispanic out law person with thick mustache on his face.
Chat Room
milli--one-thousandth. . million
millimeter-1/1000 one thousandth of a meter.
millipede- pede-refer to "foot"有很多很多如上百万的脚的虫
pedal-pedicure-both related to "feet". pedal-脚踏板 pedicure-修脚指头作脚步護理
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onomatopoeia-凝声词，模凝声音而有的字
puff- poof, hiss－噗／呼／呲
pop－balloon bursting/boom－some heavy things hit the ground/buzz－bee is buzzing around/bang －Gun has been fire
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bill (n)-charge people money. bill (v) is"describe"以传单海报广告来宣布．
Disneyland bills itself as the happiest place on earth.打广告宣传
The president's to Germany was billed as nonpolitical.
opening credits/closing credits.开幕／闭幕的排名表上
Anne Hathaway has been billed as the next Julia Roberts．排名在
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