When Karlee Friesen says to search rubber ducky isopods online because they鈥檙e adorable, the outreach manager at Victoria Bug Zoo is not wrong.
While cuteness may be subjective, the little roly-poly bugs with yellow faces and orange snouts certainly fit the bill. And they鈥檙e isopods, which Canadians can legally keep, she told a crowd at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary as part of its series of educational and fun talks about invertebrates. The first week of spring break at the Saanich sanctuary focused on the diverse world of creatures that rely on exoskeletons or soft body tissues to compensate for the lack of a spine.
She shared a top four that can, and can鈥檛, be kept legally in Canada, based on her role in animal care at the downtown Victoria attraction: isopods, tarantulas, discoid cockroaches and Chinese praying green mantis.
鈥淭hese are the basic bugs people ask about quite often,鈥� she said
Canadians can keep isopods, which come in all sorts of colours, including the dairy cow version, on hand during the event. Friesen said they can go by 鈥渟o many cute names鈥�, including roly-poly.
鈥淭here are no limits 鈥� you can have whatever isopod you want because they鈥檙e not deemed as a threat to our environment,鈥� Friesen said.
Some are even more expensive than a tarantula. For example, the aforementioned rubber duck can run $100 apiece.
Tarantulas have some legal limitations because certain municipalities don鈥檛 allow venomous animals, including Campbell River and Surrey.
Banned across the board up until last year, Canadians can now keep discoid cockroaches 鈥� a specific type from Central America that cannot survive in the cold Canadian climate.
鈥淭hese guys need very high temperatures to survive,鈥� Friesen said of the bug frequently kept as feeders for carnivorous pets.
The Chinese praying mantis鈥攐riginally introduced for natural pest control in greenhouses鈥攊s the only mantis species legally allowed as a pet in Canada.
鈥淎n established species, which means they鈥檝e been here more than 100 years and we can鈥檛 get rid of them; there are just too many,鈥� Friesen said. They鈥檙e commonly found in warmer climates, primarily the Okanagan.
Both the Chinese green praying mantis and tarantula are carnivores, so keep in mind they must be fed, Friesen said.
The bug zoo actually sells Chinese green praying mantis ootheca (egg sacs) on a first-come, first-served basis starting this time of year. Ootheca can hold anywhere from 50 to 200 babies, but fear not, Friesen said; they鈥檒l engage in siblicide, weeding out the weak with only one likely left standing.
What bugs can鈥檛 you have? Orchid mantis (or most others), stick insect, giant African millipede or any 鈥渃ool鈥� beetle.
鈥淎ll of these animals here are known as a PIO 鈥� potentially injurious organism 鈥� by the CFIA,鈥� Friesen said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency governs bugs in this country through plant protection regulations, limiting bugs to keep the environment safe from threats.
Learn more about the care and feeding of legally kept bugs at .
The program continues through spring break and the rest of the year at 3873 Swan Lake Rd.
Visit for more information on upcoming sessions.
