Animal Tracks - Insects

Insects, Arachnids,
and Other Invertebrates

What is an Insect?

Insects outnumber all other animals, with about 800,000 species described so far. They are arthropods and are found almost everywhere. They are the most highly developed of the invertebrates (animals without a backbone). Some have a highly developed social structure. Most grow by metamorphosis, passing through at least two distinct stages. Insect bodies consist of three parts: the thorax, abdomen, and head. They have two antennae and mandibles, or jaws, on the head. Insects have three pairs of legs and an external skeleton (exoskeleton).

What is a Spider?

Although spiders are arachnids rather than insects, I have put them on this page. Spiders have eight legs and most of them spin webs from silk.

Click on the name of the insect below to see a picture of its tracks and some natural history information about it.

• Beetles	• Grasshoppers
• Spiders	• Banana Slug

Find posters, greeting cards, postage stamps and more in my new store.

Now available: "Animals Don't Cover Their Tracks - An Introduction to Animal Tracking" on CD! (Version 3.0) New drawings, more species, more photos, more extensive sections on tracking humans, more detailed directions for plaster casting, mystery tracks section, tracking stories section, and more. The CD features over 100 species, including special bonus sections with the tracks of some African and Australian animals. A large section on tracking lost people for search and rescue is included, with over four pages of photos showing the details of tracks and signs people leave. Easy to use format. This web site is limited by bandwidth, but the CD-ROM is not. The CD is available in my online store at: www.dirt-time.com Works with Mac or PC. Happy tracking!!

What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's animal tracks coloring book, T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you!

Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459*

Also visit these fine stores for more products of interest:
NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request.

ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here.

Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year!

Got an insect story? E-mail me and tell me about it.

tracker777@hotmail.com

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Page updated: December 21, 2007.