For Ollie on his fifth birthday

From Grandpa Jamieson

Preview audio:

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Some of the most interesting creatures on Earth are living in your backyard. Depending on where you happen to live, there might be chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, frogs, snakes, and birds of all sizes, shapes, and colors. But if you look a bit closer, you will discover a hidden world of smaller creatures that is even more interesting. It is the world of spiders and insects. And one of the most interesting insects of all is the praying mantis.

Oh, hi there! Have you ever seen anything like me in your backyard? I'm a praying mantis, one of the largest and strangest insects you'll probably ever see, and you will find critters like me all over the world.

We come in a variety of colors and try to blend in with our surroundings. See how I resemble the green branches and leaves of this tree? That makes it harder for predators to see me.

And look at my wings. They look like leaves! That'll fool those predators!

I blend right in with this orchid. I'll bet that you barely noticed me!

When I feel threatened, I do this. It makes me look bigger (and maybe a little bit crazy) to frighten away whoever is threatening me. It looks silly, but it works!

Take a good close look at my big, bulging eyes. They are called composite eyes, meaning that they are made up of hundreds of tinier eyes. I am able to see motion all around me in every direction.

When I am looking directly in front of me, I have very sharp vision. And I can quickly turn my head all the way around to look directly behind me if I want to, so I have excellent vision in all directions. This makes me a very good hunter.

What do I hunt? Well, you might be surprised! I am pretty big for an insect, so I can eat most other bugs. And I have long front legs with sharp spikes on them to help me hold my prey.

For the most part, I just sit still, blending into my surroundings until my prey wanders within reach. Then I quickly grab it and bite off its head! Once I have done that, I can take my time eating the rest of it. I especially enjoy a yummy cricket dinner!