One time when I was walking in a grassy field, I kept feeling a lot of movement with every step I took. When I stopped walking I discovered there were grasshoppers jumping all around me. They were a dull gray color, so they were hard to see. I was glad one of them stayed still long enough for me to snap a photo of him.
At another time I was walking on the edge of a woods when I discovered this grasshopper on a shrub. I was surprised because I always thought of them hopping on the ground. He didn’t move – just stared at me with his big bulgy eyes. Some grasshoppers fly, and he must have had to in order to get off the ground!
If you have ever tried to catch a grasshopper, you know how fast and far it can jump. They use their long hind legs to spring them into the air. They jump farther than any other creature in the animal world. If we could jump as far as they do in relation to their size, we would jump the length of a football field!
It isn’t a good idea to catch one even if you could, because they have a rather disgusting means of defense. When they feel threatened they spit out a vile brown liquid known as tobacco juice. This often repels the beetles, birds, snakes, spiders and other creatures that are ready to eat them.
The color of various grasshoppers help them to blend into their surroundings so their predators don’t see them. The most common colors are green, olive and brown, but there are many variations depending on where they live. Some species of grasshoppers flaunt bright colors to warn predators that they can make them sick.
If you look closely at a grasshopper you won’t see any ears. That’s because they are in a peculiar place. Instead of being on their head where most ears are found, they are tucked under their wings!
Male grasshoppers “sing” to females during the mating season by rubbing their wings together. When intruders try to move into their territory they chirp loudly with their wings to scare them off.
People in some countries like to fry grasshoppers and eat them for a healthy snack. They are rich in protein. I think I’ll get my protein some other way!