What kind of critters have you raised in the name of homeschooling?

[joannqn]

We really enjoy raising little critters for school. I'm not talking specifically pets, but raising because of school. We do have a dog and three cats.

 

For school, we've...

 

Raised painted lady caterpillars/butterflies.

Kept ants in a blue gel ant farm.

Raised a triops (this might have been our favorite)

Brought home pill bugs and slugs

And gotten a gold fish

 

The gold fish turned into DD12's pet. She now loves fish. It was doing great until we brought it home two friends. One of the friends came home from the pet store sick and killed them all. We just inherited three more fish and then bought a frog. They were doing great until two of them suddenly died. We tried really hard to save the second one by double checking water temperature, water quality, adding aquarium salt, and treating it with medicines. Nothing worked. The last one appears to be ok so far but it is too big for a tank and needs a new home. DD wants to buy 5 cories and a beta for her tank. I never expected to own fish. She says she wants a huge 135 gallon tank when she's older.

 

We currently have three tadpoles on my kitchen counter.

 

We want to get praying mantises but I'm a little intimated my how many eggs a pod holds.

 

We want to raise caterpillars again this summer. The littles are old enough to enjoy them more.

[maddykate]

I currently have four baby chickens living in a dog cage, in my garage...does that count? :lol:

[Jamee]

Not specifically for homeschool, but the boys are currently raising stag beetle grubs. They also have a beetle that they've found. A couple years ago. They raised tadpols and were very successful.

[bluemongoose]

We are raising caterpillars/butterflies right now.

I would like to do an ant farm next and then maybe tadpoles. We shall see. I have to warm DH up to it slowly. He is a "no pets in the house" guy.:001_smile:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Raised painted lady caterpillars/butterflies. Yep. Did this.

 

Kept ants in a blue gel ant farm. Yep. And I was the one who was trying desperately to corral wayward ants at 1 am when they got out (I was trying to give them water).

 

Brought home pill bugs and slugs. Yep. The pill bugs we tried to get to go through a maze to get their food. They did it - sort of.

 

We had fish - 7 "feeder" gold fish and an algae eater.

 

We had crickets in the butterfly home. They were really loud at night.

 

We're supposed to have tadpoles now but I haven't gotten around to ordering them yet.

[Embassy]

Slugs, worms, and ants.:001_unsure:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Slugs, worms, and ants.:001_unsure:

 

Oh - I forgot the worm farm.

[swellmomma]

Painted lady caterpillars

Green horned worms

tadpoles into frogs

frogs the kids have caught

various small animals the kids brought home to rescue

hatched chicks and get our incubator and eggs to do so again this weekend

ds8 is currently creating a worm farm

Triops (we finished 1 kit and have 1 saved for next month)

Like Jean we bought the cheap feeder gold fish and they actually lived a long time

And while we have pets we would not have them if we did not homeschool. We would not be home enough to have them so pretty much every pet we have had has been during our time as homeschoolers.

[FaithManor]

One mini-rex rabbit - lived 11 years....very ripe old age!

One dwarf Netherland rabbit

One Dutch tort rabbit

 

Two turtles

One leopard ghecko lizard

One chinese water dragon - don't get one...save yourself the angst of such a persnickety creature and get a bearded dragon.

One tree frog

One bearded dragon

Six show ducks - one mating pair of khaki call ducks, one gray call, one butterscotch call, and a mating pair of Australian Spotteds

Eight bum lambs that eventually returned to the farm although three were too weak and possibly premature to survive...so five living lambs.

 

Ds would have a snake if I allowed it. I'd let him have the dad gum snake if Dh would let me move to my friend's farm and hang out with her horses! He won't let me....it's the only patriarchial bone he has in his body...chauvenist! :D So no snake for ds.

 

I have agreed to a fire belly toad.

 

Rumor has it that a pair of Anoles (small, chameleon like lizards) may make their way into my home...I suspect that dh will collude with ds and some day they will magically appear while devious, sneaky, not to be trusted male humanoids act innocent.

 

I live in Jurassic Park! Cue the John Williams music!

 

Faith

[MissKNG]

Yup...the caterpillars and we currently have two mice!

[GoVanGogh]

Caterpillars/butterflies and moths

 

Ant farms (both gel and sand, many times over)

 

Millipedes

 

Bessbugs (beetles)

 

Pill bugs

 

Worm farm

 

Snakes and lizards and spiders from the garden

 

Fish

 

Russian box tortoise

 

Red eared slider (aquatic turtle)

 

Hermit Crabs

 

Crayfish (The funnest!)

 

Snails

 

Praying mantis (Does their food count?! :lol: If so, flightless fruit flies)

 

Crickets (We often buy feeder crickets to watch for a few months)

[Flux]

My daughter has been obsessed with all things creepy-crawly for most of her life. I consider these homeschooling pets, because I wonder if her odd tastes would have been squooshed by peers at school and we certainly wouldn't have the time to devote to them if we were following a school schedule.

We have almost 30 tarantulas (this took some getting used to at first, but I'm fine with it now.) We raise crickets and hissing cockroaches to feed the spiders. She's had a couple of wolf spiders. Pill bugs, again for the spider enclosures (to keep them clean). A scorpion. We raised super worms, a baby praying mantis, and various caterpillars. I don't know if I can even list all the short term, caught critters that have stayed with us...many beetles... A fish tank with a few fish, some crawfish, and now that it is hot again, it will have a few different water beetles again, I'm sure. We've done the ant farm, too. We haven't done triops yet, but really want to! Favorites were the praying mantis, the wolf spiders (so sweet), a few favorite tarantulas that have nice dispositions, and our new baby bearded dragon. I probably forgot something, I dunno... But not your normal critters, I guess. We do have a beagle!:tongue_smilie:

[curlylocks]

tadpoles -- experiment gone bad; NEVER again

monarch butterflies -- caught caterpillars; hatched in 5 gallon aquarium & released

hamster -- free at pet store (she was pregnant :glare:)

chickens -- hatched in an incubator

ducks -- rescued because Momma got hit crossing the road

guinea hens -- tick control

meal worms -- food for the chickens

rabbit

2 horses

[kricau]

LOL

This is hillarious. I thought we were the only ones who brought wild creatures into our homes in the name of "school".

We have had:

painted lady catterpillar/butterfly

ant farm

tadpole/frog

and numerous "bugs" that they won't let me get rid of :)

[GoVanGogh]

hamster -- free at pet store (she was pregnant :glare:)

And we have a winner!!!

The worse homeschool critter ever!!!

[mom2scouts]

This thread makes me feel so much better! Now I know I'm not the only one with a house full of critters. We've had caterpillars/butterflies, ant farm, sea monkeys, fish, hermit crabs, cats and a rabbit. We let the butterflies go, the ants died, the last of the sea monkeys were spilled by our cat. We still have the rest of the animals. The rabbit was given to us because we "homeschool and have more time for her".

[curlylocks]

And we have a winner!!!

The worse homeschool critter ever!!!

 

 

:lol: :iagree:

 

Forgot to mention: fish

 

Ugh -- how do they keep talking me into these things??

[Whereneverever]

A giant stinging waterbug... That ate fish. True story.

[joannqn]

Kept ants in a blue gel ant farm. Yep. And I was the one who was trying desperately to corral wayward ants at 1 am when they got out (I was trying to give them water).

 

Um, Jean. Why were you trying to give them water? The gel is everything they need.

 

Crayfish (The funnest!)

 

Why were they the most fun?

 

We have almost 30 tarantulas (this took some getting used to at first, but I'm fine with it now.)

 

30? Why?

 

tadpoles -- experiment gone bad; NEVER again

 

Uh oh! What happened? We have three tadpoles on my kitchen counter right now.

 

 

My daughter has wanted a horse forever. But money and renting in the city has prevented that. She'd probably love having her own fish store currently.

[LibraryLover]

Not because we are homeschoolers, but because we are insane:

 

Caterpillars

Dogs

Cats

Chickens

Turkeys

Gerbils

Rats

Anolies

Guienea pigs

Slugs

Frog spawn (awesome)

An injured turtle we released into the wild.

Edited May 30, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Jean in Newcastle]

Um, Jean. Why were you trying to give them water? The gel is everything they need.

 

 

They looked thirsty? All I can say is that I regretted it and never did it again!

[GoVanGogh]

Originally Posted by curlylocks

tadpoles -- experiment gone bad; NEVER again

Uh oh! What happened? We have three tadpoles on my kitchen counter right now.

We had two epic fails with tadpoles before I gave up. They are so finicky. One moment, doing great. The next, all dead. :glare:

 

Originally Posted by Suzanne

Crayfish (The funnest!)

Why were they the most fun?

I ordered them through a science/school supplier. They shipped extra, to allow for any dying during shipping. One was very aggressive and ate one of the others during shipping. We could not get this one out of the shipping material, he was so crazy aggressive! Three years later and my son still laughs hysterically telling the story of mom with the kitchen tongs trying to grab this crayfish. Finally got him out and into the aquarium with the others, where he wasn't as aggressive as long as he was well-fed.

We would take one crayfish out of the aquarium every school day and put it in a smaller container on our school desk, so we could watch while we studied.

Of all the creatures we have studied in our homeschool, this was just fascinating - unique and interesting behavior.

[Juniper]

We had two epic fails with tadpoles before I gave up. They are so finicky. One moment, doing great. The next, all dead. :glare:

 

I ordered them through a science/school supplier. They shipped extra, to allow for any dying during shipping. One was very aggressive and ate one of the others during shipping. We could not get this one out of the shipping material, he was so crazy aggressive! Three years later and my son still laughs hysterically telling the story of mom with the kitchen tongs trying to grab this crayfish. Finally got him out and into the aquarium with the others, where he wasn't as aggressive as long as he was well-fed.

We would take one crayfish out of the aquarium every school day and put it in a smaller container on our school desk, so we could watch while we studied.

Of all the creatures we have studied in our homeschool, this was just fascinating - unique and interesting behavior.

 

This reminds me of some of first HS pets. We had baby turtles and crawfish. One morning my youngest comes downstairs and sees the crawfish eating his turtle!!!! It was a very sad day in our home. :(

[Whereneverever]

In case anyone is curious, here is a pic of that bug eating a fish.

 

I think there are other posts before that with other pics. :tongue_smilie:

[Mimm]

Butterflies, ant and tadpoles. Right now I have one frog that used to be a tadpole and a tadpole I got at the same time but still doesn't even have the beginnings of legs. I think he may be defective.

[Jennifer3141]

We've done:

 

Triops (LOVE these things!!)

ant farms - both gel and sand and the gel are much, much better

mealworms

butterflies (those are ongoing throughout the summer - another batch arrived today!)

ladybugs

tadpoles (short term)

snapping turtles (short term)

Carolina.com's "life under a rotting log" (another AWESOMELY good project)

Madagascar hissing cockroaches

dragonfly larvae

worms and then got into vermicomposting

 

We added angora rabbits for 4-H but hated the idea of leaving them for a week to show so we dropped out and we recently added ducks which wasn't exclusively for homeschooling but I incorporated a ton of reading and learning about them into our school.

 

I'm hoping for goats and more rabbits next spring. :)

Edited May 30, 2012 by Jennifer3141

[joannqn]

We had two epic fails with tadpoles before I gave up. They are so finicky. One moment, doing great. The next, all dead. :glare:

 

I ordered them through a science/school supplier. They shipped extra, to allow for any dying during shipping. One was very aggressive and ate one of the others during shipping. We could not get this one out of the shipping material, he was so crazy aggressive! Three years later and my son still laughs hysterically telling the story of mom with the kitchen tongs trying to grab this crayfish. Finally got him out and into the aquarium with the others, where he wasn't as aggressive as long as he was well-fed.

We would take one crayfish out of the aquarium every school day and put it in a smaller container on our school desk, so we could watch while we studied.

Of all the creatures we have studied in our homeschool, this was just fascinating - unique and interesting behavior.

 

Interesting. A local homeschool friend got a bunch of frog eggs or tadpoles, not sure which, and shared. We've done nothing for the three she gave us except give them fresh lake water filled with duck weed every so often. We started out with two that were one size and a smaller one that she said had hatched the day before. Now we have one that is four times the size of the other two. Other than the freakish difference in size, they seem fine.

 

I'll have to consider a crayfish!

 

In case anyone is curious, here is a pic of that bug eating a fish.

 

I think there are other posts before that with other pics. :tongue_smilie:

 

So where/how did you get the bug? Not sure if fish-loving DD would let me feed one.

[linders]

Hoppy, the "free" toad, caught in our yard for long-term observation.

 

Free. Uh-huh. The boys bought a habitat (he was an escape artist with cardboard boxes) then discovered how hard it is to catch crickets once the weather cools. Crickets cost $2 for 10 big ones, and Hoppy, well, he liked to eat. He ate up every bit of their allowance for 2 months before they decided it was time for Hoppy to live outdoors again.

 

But it was fun while he lasted. We watched for hours as he stalked crickets, and he actually ate from our hands when offered.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

A bearded dragon

Moths

chickens

sea monkeys

a Jerusalem beetle (this one STILL gives me nightmares :ack2::leaving:)

minnows

crawdads

a huge turtle we found

guinea pig

the cat had kittens (now she is getting fixed!)

5 in wolf spider (again, nightmares still :001_huh:)

We have dogs but they are not specifically for homeschooling

Do octopus plants and venus fly traps count?

[joannqn]

a Jerusalem beetle (this one STILL gives me nightmares :ack2::leaving:)

 

:willy_nilly:

 

Do octopus plants and venus fly traps count?

 

Yes, DD12 has been begging for one for years.

[Whereneverever]

 

 

 

So where/how did you get the bug? Not sure if fish-loving DD would let me feed one.

 

it swam after my husband and my bil in a lake in northern MN to sting them. Of course that means its something to catch and keep!:lol:

 

I think it would be traumatic for a fish lover. The fish did not seem to enjoy being eaten.

[joannqn]

it swam after my husband and my bil in a lake in northern MN to sting them.

 

Ack! Add another reason that I don't like swimming in water that chlorinated and contained in a swimming pool.

 

I think it would be traumatic for a fish lover. The fish did not seem to enjoy being eaten.

 

No, I don't think the fish would enjoy that much.

[Donna]

Painted lady butterflies

Numerous tadpoles

Chickens

Brine shrimp

 

We've also had various critters come to stay for short periods of time like a baby garter snake, a baby squirrel, and a couple baby birds.

[Flux]

30? Why?

 

Well, it didn't start out that way. The short answer would probably be that we do tend to slightly obsess over things...

Long answer: I guess it's taken about a year and a half to acquire that many. She got her first one. Then my husband took her to a nearby reptile convention and they came home with a couple more. They both seem to be smitten, they find them beautiful and there are so many different kinds! There were a few more reptile conventions... Also, when you order one online, it seems to be a common business practice to throw in a few extra babies, either of a different kind (as an extra) or the same kind (to cover any losses). We've never had one arrive dead, but they've just added up over time... I think they are done acquiring now though and have some extras they'll likely sell.

[Alphabetika]

Butterflies and walking sticks.

[Gentlemommy]

Fish

Tadpoles

Beetles

Lizards

Caterpillars

Mice

Rats

Chickens

Ducklings

Earthworms

Triops

Praying Mantis

Ladybugs

Ant colony

 

 

Ducklings have been my favorite. They are SO cute, they follow us around everywhere. :D

[ElizabethB]

Tadpoles and butterflies.

 

With a 2 hour catch and release plan, bugs and lizards and toads. (They get an additional hour if they successfully feed said animal, but all reptiles and amphibians must be released prior to dark regardless of when they were caught so they can find a nice home for the night.)

 

We move too much for a regular pet, and thanks to homeschool friends with rats, we now have rats. :eek:

 

If we didn't have homeschool friends, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have rats.

[homebody2k]

Great Danes and cats

 

and a fish named FOO

[Sparkle]

Painted lady butterflies several times

Ant farm

Grow-a-frog (this is the only one I regret, those things were stinky and a pain to take care of)

Goldfish

A rabbit - my kids pleaded with me to take him, he was being given away at the homeschool book sale - he's been a fun pet though.

[lailasmum]

We've had

Butterflies

Raised chicks (we already had other chickens)

Fish

Tadpoles

3 Giant African Land snails which lived for about 5 years, the last died earlier this year.

and 2 bearded dragons and breeding various critters to feed them.

plus an ever changing selection of bugs from the garden. At the moment there are a selection of snails, woodlice and a really long worm under observation.

 

We have a triops kit on the shelf but keep forgetting to buy the water for it.

[Dmmetler]

Caterpillars, ladybugs, earthworms, and currently tadpoles/froglets

[Amber in SJ]

Painted Lady Butterflies

Triops

Aquatic Frog

Sea Monkeys

Salamander (we killed this one)

Alligator Lizard

Ladybugs (we got these at OSH for the garden, Dh was carrying the container full outside when the lid popped off & my house was filled with ladybugs. We were picking them off the drapes & out of light fixtures for weeks)

Snails & pill bugs from outside

The neurotic dog who followed us home from co-op

The two cats we had to adopt after a co-op field trip to the animal shelter

 

Do the six bird feeders in our yard and annual participation in the BBC count?

 

Do the squirrels, raccoons, possums & rats attracted to the bird feeders count?

 

I am not a pet person at all but I have an animal crazy, future vet in my house, so here we are.

 

Amber in SJ

[kroe1]

We don't have to raise anything really since we live on a beach and inside a nature preserve.

 

Just this morning in our yard were deer, a rabbit, an armadillo, and a hawk being attacked by two mocking birds. Also in our yard from time to time are snakes, lizards, butterflies, roaches, beetles, ants, bobcats, a Florida panther, alligators, great blue herons, little blue herons, ibis, sandhill cranes, great egrets, snowy egrets, tons of different kinds of shore birds, dolphin, and once a manatee, crabs, sand fleas, rosette spoonbills, all kinds of ducks, etc.

 

So we get to do a lot of animal observation. But we have tried to raise butterflies in the cage which were all eaten by lizards. We never made it past the chrysalis stage. And we tried Hermit crabs which I let out in the back yard once I saw little mite like creatures in their food supply. We aren't very good with pets either since the dog developed acorn toxicity and now has seizures and she recently tore her knee joint to pieces.

 

:)