| Freshwater
Slater
Freshwater Slaters often look like the slaters
you see in your garden. They are sometimes called sowbugs.
What they look like:
Freshwater Slaters vary greatly in appearance, but they
are all flattened from top to bottom (that is, their
bodies are wider than they are thick). They have hard
body segments, each bearing a pair of legs - they have
seven pairs of legs. They also have two pairs of antennae,
one pair longer than the other.
Size:
6-20 mm long.
Where they live:
Freshwater Slaters are found in freshwater lakes, swamps,
springs, creeks and streams.
What they eat:
Freshwater Slaters are scavengers and eat a variety
of dead plant and animal material.
Pollution
tolerance. Very tolerant, rating 2.
While they will tolerate water that is not very
healthy, Freshwater Slaters cannot tolerate chemical
pollution. Pollution damages their delicate gills,
which they use to breathe. |
What’s interesting about
the Freshwater Slater?
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