Pill Bug Behaviors Lab

Pill Bug Behaviors Patricia Full Tiana Crosby P. D. 4-5 9/20/2012 Introduction The pill bug is the only crustaceans that can spend its entire life on land. Their shells look like armor and they are known for their ability to roll into a ball. Sometimes children call them roly-polies. Most pill bugs live for up to two years. They are most active at night. Pill bugs do not bite, sting or transmit diseases. They are perfectly safe to handle and are the perfect specimens for this experiment. This experiment is to test the reactions and behaviors of pill bugs when put in different environments and environmental situations.In the test it was tested how they reacted when 2 different sources of food that were put into the environment which was the choice chambers. The 2 foods we used were an apple and a piece of celery. I concluded by previous observations that the pill bugs would prefer the apple which is sweet over the bitter celery. Materials and procedure * 10-20 potato bugs * 1 choice c hamber * 1 petri dish * 1 apple * 1 stick of celery * Stop watch 1. Get a choice chamber and collect the bugs 2. Cut up the apple and celery and set them in the opposite sides of the chambers 3. Put 5 potato bugs in one chamber 5 in another 4.Observe noting the data for 10 minutes recording every half a minute(30 seconds) Conclusion In this experiment we studied the behavior of pill bugs in different situations. In the situation we put 2 different food sources in the choice chamber and let the bugs decide. The data supported my hypothesis that the bugs would prefer the sweet apple over the bitter celery. At the beginning we put 5 in each chamber and let them decide which they wanted. It showed that by the end of the test all or most of the bugs were in the apple chamber eating the apple. It proves my hypothesis as valid. ( For questions see attachment)