I bought an ANTWORKS habitat a month ago, and ordered 25 Harvester Ants by mail. They were so fascinating, that I ordered another 25 to keep them company. I then got ANOTHER habitat, and 50 more of those critters should be in the mail today. Here's what they look like:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/6fd6/zoom/The gelatin medium, designed by NASA, provides them with food and water. Nothing else is needed, except to open the lid every so often, to admit fresh air. Whenever I do so, they all explode into a frenzy of activity. Putting them in the refrig for 10~20 minutes, slows them down and puts them to sleep. One thing about them is that they're totally indifferent to humans. At one time, I was considering getting s macro lens for my APS camera, but shelved the idea. I might reconsider it again.
pnorman