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Insect. The northern grasshopper can leap 20 times the length of his body. There are more than 20,000 species of grasshoppers. They have no ears, but they do hear with an organ called tympanum. When grasshoppers are picked up, they “spit” a brown liquid commonly called “tobacco juice.” Scientists believe this liquid may protect them from attacks by predators. Males sing, by rubbing their back legs against their wings, to attract females and to warn off other males. Some species, called locusts, will gather by the billions and eat everything in their way. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Melanoplus borealis borealis |
About 50 days |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. They will eat almost any type of leaves, but they prefer soft vegetation. Dandelion is a favorite. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Many birds; lizards, snakes, and toads; and mammals including rodents, gophers, badgers, coyotes, skunks, and bobcats. |
| Habitat |
| The northern grasshopper has a wide variety of habitats including mountain meadows, bogs and swamps, and arctic tundra; they range widely in the northern regions of North America. |
