- A cricket’s ears are located just below the knees on its front legs.
- The higher the temperature, the faster a cricket chirps. Estimate the temperature in Fahrenheit by counting the number of chirps in 15 seconds and adding 37.
- Jiminy Cricket was inspired by the Talking Cricket from the original Pinnochio book on which the Walt Disney movie was based. In the book, Pinnochio kills the cricket shortly after meeting him because he doesn’t like what the cricket has to say. A fine conscience he turned out to be.
- Male crickets chirp by rubbing the top of one wing against teeth that run along the bottom of the other. Female crickets do not chirp.
- In 1939, England played South Africa the longest cricket match ever—it lasted 14 days and ended in a tie.
- Crickets are a symbol of good luck, wisdom and prosperity in Chinese, Japanese and Native American folklore.
- Buddy Holly’s back up band was called The Crickets.
- The practice of eating bugs is called entomophagy. Crickets are considered a tasty treat in many cultures and are an excellent source of protein, iron and calcium.
- Despite having wings, crickets rarely fly.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of Canoeroots Magazine.
