Friday, 30 November 2012
Thursday, 21 June 2012
NO, Uno's a BOY!!!
After much to-ing and fro-ing with photos to the Zoo Keeper, Rohan, he thinks Uno is a boy!
This is what Rohan said in his last email:
Looks like a male to me in this photo. If you look closely at the brown part towards the tip of the abdomen you will see it is more rounded. If it was a female it would be very pointed. I saw the photos on your blog of the students involved in the radio cross yesterday. Looked great.
Sincerely
Rohan
Sorry Uno. Apparently his rear end is flattened, not pointy like a girl's.
We're all learning!
This is what Rohan said in his last email:
Looks like a male to me in this photo. If you look closely at the brown part towards the tip of the abdomen you will see it is more rounded. If it was a female it would be very pointed. I saw the photos on your blog of the students involved in the radio cross yesterday. Looked great.
Sincerely
Rohan
Sorry Uno. Apparently his rear end is flattened, not pointy like a girl's.
We're all learning!
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Uno's a girl!
Sorry, we've been calling Uno a "him" all this time! But it's only now that she's big enough to really see the body parts clearly.
Uno's carers on the radio
Monday, 18 June 2012
Uno is a radio star!
Uno is noticeably bigger - about 3.5 cm long. He is 6 weeks old now.
If a student hasn't seen him for a while, they are quite surprised at how much he has grown. His colour is changing slightly too. He is not the bright lime green of his early days any more. He's dulled off in colour and gone a slightly darker green. There are brown stripes on the segments of his antennae, and his abdomen has a whitish stripe on it at the moment.
Here, Uno is being gently transferred onto a fresh plant. Yum! The other one had been insdie for a few extra weeks, and it was definitely ready for a bit of fresh air, sunshine and water!
As for the eggs... They are still eggs! We didn't end up putting them in the chicken incubator because I could not get the temperature stable in the right range. And, then we started taking the egg container to a different classroom where they get full northern sun through their window most of the day. They have spent a few weekend days at my house on the heater or in front of the sunny window. Still not happy...The latest advice from the Zoo Keeper is to shine a desk lamp straight on them!
This afternoon, we are quite excited because we are doing a radio interview! Between 4-5, on 94.1fm 3WBC
Details of the show are:
Here’s the blurb for the podcast:
If you miss the live program, we will be saved to a podcast for later listening!
If a student hasn't seen him for a while, they are quite surprised at how much he has grown. His colour is changing slightly too. He is not the bright lime green of his early days any more. He's dulled off in colour and gone a slightly darker green. There are brown stripes on the segments of his antennae, and his abdomen has a whitish stripe on it at the moment.
We are wondering if he is about to shed his exoskeleton. Or maybe he has already? We haven't seen him shed, or found any evidence of a moult (shed skin) on the base of the enclosure. I think one of the other insects at another school has already shed. We'll just keep our eyes open.
As for the eggs... They are still eggs! We didn't end up putting them in the chicken incubator because I could not get the temperature stable in the right range. And, then we started taking the egg container to a different classroom where they get full northern sun through their window most of the day. They have spent a few weekend days at my house on the heater or in front of the sunny window. Still not happy...The latest advice from the Zoo Keeper is to shine a desk lamp straight on them!
This afternoon, we are quite excited because we are doing a radio interview! Between 4-5, on 94.1fm 3WBC
Details of the show are:
Here’s the blurb for the podcast:
Christian
College Bellarine was a successful applicant from the Melbourne Zoo, selected
to participate in a pilot program where schools could raise critically
endangered Lord Howe Island Stick Insects in captivity. Year 8 Environmental
Studies students applied for the project with their teacher. The special story
of how this insect was thought to be extinct for over 80 years has spread
throughout the school. Many students from the Prep –Year 9 campus visit the
specially made enclosure to try and find where Uno is hiding. He is so named as
the first and so far only, Lord Howe Island Stick Insect to hatch at the
school. Conditions for a healthy environment for the insects have meant
cleaners have avoided using chemical cleaning products around the enclosure.
Young children rush up to search for Uno in the foliage in his enclosure; older
students are monitoring the “climate” conditions on a daily basis. Other
students have conducted a behaviour research project. Eventually, all animals
and research information will be returned to the Zoo. During the project, the
school is keeping the Zoo and other schools informed of progress via a dedicated
blog site. The project has been a highlight for the students and the school.
Produced for broadcast on 94.1fm 3WBC and
nationally via CRN
by the multi-award winning team at Wonderful World Media/SBN
Podcast via www.primarypersepctives.info
and available from May 12 in USA via www.earthpreservers.com
and wwwpositiveimpactmagazine.com
Follow us on Twitter @WWMNradio
Wonderful World Media Network broadcasts live globally ~
Multi-award winning radio for creating sustainable societies
If you miss the live program, we will be saved to a podcast for later listening!
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Uno settled "upstairs"
Uno is consistently enjoying the probably warmer, more humid climes "upstairs" at the top of the foliage in his enclosure. This is where the Zoo said the juveniles tend to hang out. It does make for trickier sighting of the little beastie, though. This morning I took the whole plant out, finally to find him cleverly mimicing a leaf by suspending himself under a leaf, lying parallel to the midrib vein. Can you see him today?
And horror of horrors, I found quite an established web in the far top back corner of the enclosure! We were warned that spiders will attack and kill these sensitive creatures! In fact, another school blogger said that that very thing had happened to them.
I was surprised how saddened I was moved to feel when other schools were reporting deaths this last week.
On a happier note, one school has had its fourth hatchling arrive. We really must get the incubator going for our eggs. I am even contemplating putting the whole "show" into a classroom where there is more natural light. The UV will aid the plant, as well as the eggs. This will be the move next week.
Some schools have still not had any hatchings yet. The Zoo reminds us to be patient and wait for up to another two months!
Here's one of our devoted students and I proudly pointing out little Uno who was perched on the door of the enclosure, a few days ago. Believe it or not, his body is about three centimetres long now.
And horror of horrors, I found quite an established web in the far top back corner of the enclosure! We were warned that spiders will attack and kill these sensitive creatures! In fact, another school blogger said that that very thing had happened to them.
I was surprised how saddened I was moved to feel when other schools were reporting deaths this last week.
On a happier note, one school has had its fourth hatchling arrive. We really must get the incubator going for our eggs. I am even contemplating putting the whole "show" into a classroom where there is more natural light. The UV will aid the plant, as well as the eggs. This will be the move next week.
Some schools have still not had any hatchings yet. The Zoo reminds us to be patient and wait for up to another two months!
Here's one of our devoted students and I proudly pointing out little Uno who was perched on the door of the enclosure, a few days ago. Believe it or not, his body is about three centimetres long now.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
New plant, but no new siblings
Uno is still Numero Uno going solo. Recent advice from the Zoo suggested the eggs need some sunlight/UV to aid their development/hatching potential. So on Monday, they spent the day on a car dashboard in the carpark at work. It felt slightly wrong putting them out there on their own with no surveillance, but the temperature and humidity were ideal, not to mention the lovely UV bath they were getting.
Tuesday was rain and overcast, so the eggs didn't venture out. Today, Wednesday, was cool and cloudy, and the eggs had a sojourne on the window ledge in my classroom above the heater.
As for Uno - he's up and about these days. We had a frantic day on Monday looking for him after we successfully transferred him onto another Pittosporum plant (variegated leaves this time). He seemed to hover around the mid height of the plant, doing his little sway dance after being transferred. Apparently that is typical Phasmid behaviour as they try to imitate a moving leaf! Can't fool us, Uno. Well, actually you did for about a day. I though it'd be easier to spot Uno in the variegated foliage, which is also less dense than the previous plant. But alas, not.
Today, Uno was found "hiding" right on the top of the perspex door. Looking... looking... on the plant, and then there he was right before our eyes. We'll have to be careful when opening the door in future - don't want to put our fat fingers on him by accident. We even got excited when we spotted Uno's poo stuck to the door in the condensation! All part of honing our observation skills!
Whilst Uno was posing so boldly on the door, we took the opportunity to measure him and do a photo shoot. The quality of photo is average, but at least it's recording the milestones!
Sadly, one of the hatchlings at another school died on the weekend. It sounded as though he was not moving much, and then not at all. They had a second one hatch and now look after that one.
News flash - we were in the local Ocean Grove "The Voice" newspaper last week. It showed our students excitedly looking after the eggs.
Tuesday was rain and overcast, so the eggs didn't venture out. Today, Wednesday, was cool and cloudy, and the eggs had a sojourne on the window ledge in my classroom above the heater.
As for Uno - he's up and about these days. We had a frantic day on Monday looking for him after we successfully transferred him onto another Pittosporum plant (variegated leaves this time). He seemed to hover around the mid height of the plant, doing his little sway dance after being transferred. Apparently that is typical Phasmid behaviour as they try to imitate a moving leaf! Can't fool us, Uno. Well, actually you did for about a day. I though it'd be easier to spot Uno in the variegated foliage, which is also less dense than the previous plant. But alas, not.
Today, Uno was found "hiding" right on the top of the perspex door. Looking... looking... on the plant, and then there he was right before our eyes. We'll have to be careful when opening the door in future - don't want to put our fat fingers on him by accident. We even got excited when we spotted Uno's poo stuck to the door in the condensation! All part of honing our observation skills!
Whilst Uno was posing so boldly on the door, we took the opportunity to measure him and do a photo shoot. The quality of photo is average, but at least it's recording the milestones!
Sadly, one of the hatchlings at another school died on the weekend. It sounded as though he was not moving much, and then not at all. They had a second one hatch and now look after that one.
News flash - we were in the local Ocean Grove "The Voice" newspaper last week. It showed our students excitedly looking after the eggs.
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