Observation Of A Beetle

Observations began with a couple of beetles that were captured and put into a tubbawear bowl. The beetles began instantly to try and escape. While the beetles tried to figure out a way to escape the plastic bowl one of the beetles flipped over on it back. As the beetle began its struggle to find a way to flip itself back over to where it would be right side up again, it wiggled and used it legs to try and do so. Although, not matter how hard the beetle tried it could not regain its up right position. The problem was that the beetle’s legs were not long enough and the flexibility of its back just was not there to help rescue itself from the predicament it was in.

If the beetle had been any type of dog or cat it would have been able to easily correct itself into the upright position. Beetles have a hard shell, or an exoskeleton as its covering to protect its body from damage, while dogs and cats do not have body parts of this sort. Dogs and cats are vertebrates while beetles are invertebrates. By the dogs and cats having a spine that is able to bend and move more freely unlike the backs of the beetles, it allows them the ability to be placed on their back and get back to their feet without any problems. The can wiggle and squirm their way over to one of its sides to be able to get their feet back

under them. For the beetle it is not quite that simple. For the beetle to be able to get back on its feet by itself it must have a stick or something of that sort to be able to grab onto with its feet to get a grip to pull itself up. In this experiment a finger was placed above the beetle which allowed the insect the option to use its feet to free itself. Without something to grip it can be said that the beetle is doomed. As one can see beetles, cats, and dogs have very different body types which allows them to deal with situations differently. In cases as such situations that could result in life or death.
When the beetle was placed right side up and on its feet, it soon began to try and find a way to escape as it did before.

The beetle then tried to climb up the side and soon ended up on its back again after multiple failing attempts. The beetle tried unsuccessfully again to flip itself back over by using it legs to try and push itself over to one side. No matter how many times the beetle was placed on its feet it soon found itself lying on its back once again. The beetle was not able to learn how to save itself by having help and being placed on its feet. The beetle was just not flexible enough to do so. It was impossible for the beetle do to, thanks to its

exoskeleton.