Kids Discover Super-Powered Creepy-Crawlies At New Natural History Museum Exhibit

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Children describe some creepy-crawlies as cute, others as slimy, but all of the species showcased in one new museum exhibit have something in common; they use superpowers to survive.

It might seem to a dream, but as CBS2's Vanessa Murdock reported, everything featured in 'Life At The Limits' a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History exists on earth. If these creatures could speak they would have some serious bragging rights.

The nautilius uses jet propulsion to move at depths of up to 2,000-ft.

"It's kind of surprising because he has eyes, but no lens. His vision is poor," Lea Letellier, 9, said, "He uses smell to capture animals."

The mantis shrimp can deliver a punch with the force of a .22 caliber bullet, and the axolotl is an unusual salamander.

"They can regrow their legs and limbs that they cut off," Axel Letellier said.

Each of the species and more can survive in extreme conditions.

"This exhibit captures the diversity of life on planet earth at the extremes. Everybody seems to grab onto one thing and says, 'no that can't be real,'" Mark Siddall, Curator of Invertebrates, explained.

Siddall said the exhibit is meant to inspire and generate understanding.

"There's a wonderful world out there, everywhere you look," he said.

The tardigrade looks like a cross between a manatee and a vacuum. They are very tiny and can survive in hot and cold climates. The death-defying creatures can go 10 years without food or water and survive anywhere.

Black swallowers can gulp down prey 10 times their own weight by using an extendable jaw and stomach.

The largest flower in the world, a corpse flower, looks pretty but has a scent reminiscent of rotten feet.

From stimulating the sense of smell to the sense of touch, the Hercules beetle is Brian Macchiarola's favorite.

"He has big jaws," Brian said.

Elliot Evans said he loved the cave exhibit.

"I liked the weird things in there," he said, "There was this one thing that was down three Empire State Building lengths below. That's where they found it."

Grossest of all was the 'living snot' known as snottites. The bacteria act as a food source for fish and bugs.

The exhibit runs through January.