Palamnaeus swammerdami – The scorpion, an arachnid. They survive on a diet of arthropods and insects. Their pincers (called ‘chelae’) have hair which is extremely sensitive. Neurotoxic venom is injected into any creature coming into contact with this tactile area. Scorpions are scary-looking for a reason. Stay away from them. Don’t hurt them. They are an important part of the eco-system.
Millipede – The millipede is an arthropod. Each millipede has several segments which together form its body. Each segment, in turn, has two pairs of legs. Millipedes feed on decayed plant matter. Their primary defence mechanism is to curl into a ball when it encounters potentially dangerous stimuli. Most species also produce a poisonous secretion which causes discolouration of human skin. Millipedes, in defiance of their name are slower than their closely-related cousins, the centipedes.
Slug – A mollusc, like the snail, but unlike it, has a less obvious shell, or an internal one. They are prone to desiccation, so you’ll only stumble upon this unfortunately repulsive creature in moist areas (meaning pretty much everywhere in the rainy season). They secrete mucus over their body, which, because of its disgusting flavour, keeps predators away.
Geocholone elegans – The star-shaped tortoise. One of the loveliest creatures on campus, the species’ habitat is semi-arid grassland. Their diet consists of mixed grasses high on fibre-content and succulent plants, like Opuntia. Remember, they are tortoises, NOT turtles. If you come across one of them on the road, just pick them up gently and set them on the grass. DO NOT, under any circumstances, drop them into any water body. They cannot survive in damp or cold environments, although they don’t mind occasional warm rainfall.
Helix aspersa – The garden snail. They show up only after the rains. The rest of the year, they remain within their shells. They are hermaphrodites, but they prefer to mate. Each has about 430 babies per annum! When they move (slowly), they constantly secrete low-friction mucus because of which a snail could crawl over a razor without hurting itself.
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