Kingdom : Animalia Class : Insecta Family : Caelifera Scientific Name : Caelifera Size : 38 - 50mm (1.5 - 2in) Average Life Span : 1 year Colour : Brown, Yellow, Green Skin Type : Shell Special Features : Long, thin antenna and the ability to jump
- Grasshoppers are medium-large sized insects found all around the world.
- There are around 11000 species of grasshoppers in the world.
- They mostly inhabit grassy fields, meadows, forests and woodlands.
- They grow to be around 2-5 inches long.
- Their bodies have three parts, the head, thorax and abdomen.
- They have six legs, two pair of wings and two antennae.
- Their antennae are almost as long as their body and help them to sense their surroundings.
- Their two hind legs are very powerful and mainly used for jumping.
- The four legs in the front help them walk and hold their prey.
- They may be green, brown or yellow in color.
- Interestingly, they are best known to jump extraordinary heights and distances.
- They are herbivores feeding on grass, weeds, leaves, shrubs barks and other plant species.
- Their numerous predators in reptiles, insects, small mammals and birds.
- Humans are known to eat grasshoppers in parts of Asia and Africa.
- Female grasshoppers lay egg pods containing around 24 eggs.
- The pod is buried in the ground by the female grasshopper.
- After 9 months, the eggs hatch and baby grasshoppers called nymphs are born.
- They slowly come to the surface by tunneling through the soil and grow into adult grasshoppers.