Triops...............how cool are they!!

It just astounds me!

My son had one of these kits given to him as a gift, and so it has become our latest science experiment together. It is incredible, from dorment eggs that are like specs of dust, by just adding spring water to a container and doing minimal preparation within 1 week we have living creatures that have already grown to about 10mm long. I have checked just in case as to whether this growth rate will continue, which it will, but to a maximum of 25-75mm (1-3inches).

What I dont want to happen is that I come down one morning and these things have grown so big that they have eaten the kids for breakfast. Saying that the old coffee jar that they are currently living in may get bit tight in the next week or so. (blimey)

Triops are crustaceans that have been on the earth for a long time. A Triassic, Jurassic sort of thing. (what does the odd 10 thousand years here and there matter) They have been incredible to watch, although I must say my wife doesn't quite have the same level of enthusiasm about them as the kids and I do. The other sort of things you can get like these are Sea Monkeys which live for longer but don't get any where near as big. Watching them eat their food is facinating. They hold it under their body with their legs (for want of a better way of expressing it) whilst they slowly eat. They often scuffle when it comes to lunch times a bit like a donut in a health spa.

There are loads of information resources on the web about Triops. Here's one with good images and the video clip is excellent. click