OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaPill bugs are tiny gray creatures that are also called roly-polies because they roll up into a little ball when they are scared! They are not actually bugs at all – they are related to crabs and lobsters.
Pill bugs have hard, bumpy shells made of overlapping plates. They have 14 legs and two little feelers on their head. Their armor-like shell protects them from danger, and they can curl up into a perfect ball.
Pill bugs like to live in dark, damp places. You can find them under rocks, logs, and flower pots. They breathe through special parts on their belly that work like gills, so they need to stay moist.
- Pill bugs eat dead plants and rotting leaves, which helps keep the ground clean.
- They have been around for millions of years!
- A mother pill bug carries her babies in a special pouch, just like a kangaroo does.
