HOUSTON — An alert keeper in the Houston Zoo's Bug House recently noticed that a grasshopper was having trouble holding its head level. When the Peruvian jumping stick, which are stick-like grasshoppers, climbed up tree branches, her head was flopping all the way back.
The problem started when the female grasshopper went through molting and shedding her exoskeleton. The process caused a weakened area so she wasn't able to hold her head level while climbing upward.
Julie, the keeper, worked closely with the zoo’s veterinary team to find a solution.
"She had the brilliant idea to create a miniature neck brace that would provide temporary support for this insect while its exoskeleton hardened," the Houston Zoo posted. "On the vet side, Dr. Melissa helped make a miniature, flexible neck brace using the shaft of a sterile Q-tip and some soft microspore tape to secure it to the insect’s body."
The tiny neck brace worked like magic! Within days, the Peruvian jumping stick could hold up her head on her own and they were able to remove the brace.