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Some types of shrews are venomous, and can produce a mild neurotoxin that they use on insects. The Hooded Pitohui is the only known poisonous bird- it secretes a toxin that has the same effect as the secretions of a poison dart frog.
Oh, I actually have clip of it somewhere... Here it is!
It's a shrimp, BTW, not a crab.
That is amazing. Nature is pretty damn cool. I had a couple of books when I was younger with titles such as 100 Things You Didn't Know about Reptiles/Snakes/Insects etc. One of the things that stood out to me was the Bulldog ants. They're supposed to be pretty aggresive and possess a nasty bite/sting. I think the reason it stood out was because it said that the ants have killed humans before. It seems natural for spiders and such to be dangerous, but I had always thought ants were just crazy colonial workers who went after sweets.
Hummingbird hearts can beat 500/600 per minute on average, top out in the thousands bpm, and go as low as 40 bpm.
Not to mention that their wings can flap 15-80 times per second.
Here is couple facts I found from internet:
Ichneumon wasps are insects that could inspire a horror movie: it picks a victim, usually a caterpillar, and injects her eggs into the host's body. Often she also injects a poison that paralyzes the victim without killing it. Then, it eats the caterpillar but it keeps the victim alive as long as possible by eating its fatty deposits and digestive organs first and saving the heart and central nervous system for last. Charles Darwin found the grisly life histories of Ichneumons incompatible with the central notion of natural theology which saw the study of nature as a way to demonstrate God's benevolence. In a letter to American botanist Asa Gray, Darwin wrote "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice."
There is a common joke: "How do porcupines do it?" "Very carefully." But in reality, the truth is more bizarre than dangerous. Females are only receptive for a few hours a yearm, so they go off their food, and stick close by the males and mope. Meanwhile the male becomes aggressive with other males, and begins a period of carefully sniffing every place the female of his choice urinates, smelling her all over. This is a tremendous aphrodisiac. While she is sulking by his side, he begins to `sing'. When he is ready to make love, the female runs away if she's not ready. If she is in the mood, they both rear up and face each other, belly-to-belly. Then, males spray their ladies with a tremendous stream of urine, soaking their loved one from head to foot - the stream can shoot as far as 7 feet. It is advised never to stand close to a cage that contains courting porcupines.
The female mite known as Histiostoma murchiei creates her own husband from scratch. She lays eggs that turn into adults without needing to be fertilised. The mother then copulates with her sons within three of four days of laying the eggs, after which the sons die rather quickly.
And my favorite crazy animal? A water bear. SUPERMAN of the animal kingdom.
From Wikipedia.
Tardigrades are very hardy animals; scientists have reported their existence in hot springs, on top of the Himalaya, under layers of solid ice and in ocean sediments. Many species can be found in a milder environment like lakes, ponds and meadows, while others can be found in stone walls and roofs. Basically, all tardigrades need to do is remain moist in order to be active. They are therefore most common in moist environments.
Tardigrades are one of the few groups of species that are capable of reversibly suspending their metabolism and going into a state of cryptobiosis. Several species regularly survive in a dehydrated state for nearly ten years. Depending on the environment they may enter this state via anhydrobiosis, cryobiosis, osmobiosis or anoxybiosis. While in this state their metabolism lowers to less than 0.01% of what is normal and their water content can drop to 1% of normal. Their ability to remain desiccated for such a long period is largely dependent on the high levels of the non-reducing sugar trehalose, which protects their membranes.
Tardigrades have been known to withstand the following extremes while in this state:
* Temperature — tardigrades can survive being heated for a few minutes to 151°C or being chilled for days at -200°C, or for a few minutes at -272°C. (1° warmer than absolute zero).
* Radiation — as shown by Raul M. May from the University of Paris, tardigrades can withstand 5,700 grays or 570,000 rads of x-ray radiation. (Ten to twenty grays or 1000-2000 rads could be fatal to a human).
* Pressure — they can withstand the extremely low pressure of a vacuum and also very high pressures, many times greater than atmospheric pressure. It has recently been proven that they can survive in the vacuum of space. Recent research has notched up another feat of endurability; apparently they can withstand 6000 atmospheres pressure, which is nearly six times the pressure of water in the deepest ocean trench.
* Dehydration - tardigrades have been shown to survive nearly one decade in a dry state.
Recent experiments conducted by Cai and Zabder have also shown that these water bears can undergo chemobiosis — a cryptobiotic response to high levels of environmental toxins. However, their results have yet to be verified.
Ice worms are tiny worms that live on glaciers. If the temperature gets even a few degrees above 0 degrees Celsius, their membranes melt and the worms dissolves into liquid.
sp1ttle on
0
Apothe0sisHave you ever questioned the nature of your reality?Registered Userregular
edited September 2007
The Plumed Basilisk is fast enough to run acros the surface of water without sinking. It's known as Jesu Christu amongst the natives who live in its area.
There are only 2 venomous lizards, according to popular wisdom - the Gila Monster and Mexican beaded lizard. However, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8331.html says that this is liable to be over turned.
Awesome thread. I have a few off the top of my head, probably less exotic, but still cool.
The cheater is the only big cat that can purr. So cute.
Sharks have special sensors along their flanks that allow them to sense a prey's electical signal... You cant hide!
In a fight between a male Lion and Tiger, the Lion would win - apparently that mane is an awesome defense for the neck.
Octopi are really smart. There have been documented cases where they have opened jars to retrieve a reward inside (these things freak me out... Japanese octopus porn art (yes, it exists) is 7 different types of wrong)
To a domestic house cat, a squint can be analogous to a smile.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Hippos are the deadliest animals in africa (they cause more deaths than any other apparently)
Elephants cant jump.
Rinos make fun of the elephants because of this.
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
I see those around my house a lot. The ones I see have the same coloration as bees.
Same here.
Apparently female hyenas have bigger penises (and more testosterone) than males do, and even give birth through them. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of tearing involved, so a lot of hyenas die during childbirth.
Vangu Vegro on
In my PC: Ryzom, Diablo III, Naruto Shippuden UNSR, The Old Republic
In my 3DS: Super Smash Bros, AC New Leaf
Last game completed: Steamworld Dig
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
When a cat blinks it means that it feels that it's secure, and is basically cat language for "I like you".
Sometimes if the cat is smart enough it understands the meaning of eyes and can relate your eyes with its own and blinks at the exact same time as you if you look it in the eyes (I have tested this with my cats, some of them can do it.)
Cats have a natural instict to go high.
When a cat hits you with its tail it might mean that it's annoyed at you.
Also, the Mary River Turtle, Elusor macrurus and related species can absorb oxygen through their cloaca. This means they can breathe through their asses.
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
Scallops have bright blue eyes. Angry eyes.
The shellfish? Eyes?
E-GAH!
It's like...it hates everything and wants to kill it. You can read it from it's eyes....
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
Scallops have bright blue eyes. Angry eyes.
The shellfish? Eyes?
That is the scariest fucking thing.
seriously, we used to dig for scallops when I was a kid... If I'd only imagined the fury held within!
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
Personally, the Platypus is one of those animals that makes little sense. A mammal that has a bill, lays eggs, and the males have a large talon that excreets poison? Yeah, that's pretty crazy.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
Scallops have bright blue eyes. Angry eyes.
The shellfish? Eyes?
OH MY GOD. I'm going to see those in my fucking sleep.
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
CoprophagiaD:
Mother koalas shit right down their babies' throats. No joke.
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
CoprophagiaD:
Mother koalas shit right down their babies' throats. No joke.
Its amazing how fast something so cute looses all appeal when you watch it feeding its baby its shit.
Fallingman on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
0
Apothe0sisHave you ever questioned the nature of your reality?Registered Userregular
edited September 2007
Everyone ignores Echidna, but it's way more awesome than both the koala and platypus.
Elephants have a unique lining in their chest cavity that prevents their lungs from rupturing and their dying. It clearly evolved in the water, which means that the ancestors of elephants evolved to live in the water, once again, and then evolved further to come back out.
So, like the rest of us, they ultimately originated in the water (or rather the ancestor they share in common with all vertebrates), they came out of the water (or rather the ancestor they share with all land vertebrates), but then went back in the water (like whales did), and finally came out of the water once again. Those crazy elephants, they're flip-floppers.
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
CoprophagiaD:
Mother koalas shit right down their babies' throats. No joke.
Its amazing how fast something so cute looses all appeal when you watch it feeding its baby its shit.
Oh, yeah, a funny one I learned about from my bunny. Rabbits are somewhat like ruminates. They have a large chamber-like organ in their digestive system in the middle of the intestinal tract called a cecum. It produces soft poo that's basically concentrated vitamins with the waste stripped away by the first round of digestion. They eat the soft poo whole, straight out of their butt, and reprocess it. They can be pretty large, about seven or eight times larger than their normal poo. After a second round of digestion, that same soft secum poo is redigested, and gets turned into the individual tiny hard poops they leave about their cage.
CoprophagiaD:
Mother koalas shit right down their babies' throats. No joke.
Its amazing how fast something so cute looses all appeal when you watch it feeding its baby its shit.
This thread reminds me that I failed to watch the Blue Planet ocean documentary that aired on Discovery Channel. It was by the makers of Planet Earth, and I loved the Ocean Depths episode. A whole documentary exploring the ocean and weird stuff and creatures (dense undersea sulfuric pools, and deep sea monstrosities). I managed to catch one episode and it didn't seem as good as planet earth because they cut too often to interview the researchers and camera crew rather than letting the actual footage impress us.
Guinea pigs have two anuses, one of which excretes half digested grass to be reconsumed. In South America, herds of the little guys are kept in households as a source of meat.
Cheetahs are the royal family of the big cat world. They're inbred to the extent that they shouldn't really stand a chance as a wild species. Any nasty epidemic in the last 10 000 years should have wiped the entire species off the planet. The fact that is hasn't is leading some scientists to question the way we consider the genetic robustness of a species.
On the subject of genetic similarities, the female nine banded armadillo continually produces quadruplets with each litter. Each armadillo is born with three identical brothers or sisters out there in the world. That isn't even the weirdest thing about these animals though, because the nine banded armadillo is also nature's bouyancy vest. The armadillo's shell is so heavy that it sinks to the bottom of rivers, and over short distances will just walk across the bottom. Over long distances however, it sucks huge amounts of air into its intestines, until it's doubled in size, then floats. It then has to sit around for hours slowly farting it all back out.
And of course, by now, most people have seen how some frogs deal with an upset stomach.
The wrinkle-faced bat, possibly the ugliest animal, has wrinkles on its face that helps it echolocate. It can also pull a caul made out of skin up and over its face for protection against insects/elements while it's roosting.
You can push a sponge through a fine-mesh sieve and it will recombine. To reproduce, all the sponges of a species send out their sperm and eggs on a single night, often the full moon.
Cheetahs are the royal family of the big cat world. They're inbred to the extent that they shouldn't really stand a chance as a wild species. Any nasty epidemic in the last 10 000 years should have wiped the entire species off the planet. The fact that is hasn't is leading some scientists to question the way we consider the genetic robustness of a species.
They're also the bottom of the totem pole, if I recall correctly. Cry of the Kalahari gave a whole detailed pecking order. They don't hunt too much because they expend so much energy doing it that it's more efficient to scavange.
Posts
...Ziggy?!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EWB_COSUXMw
I see those around my house a lot. The ones I see have the same coloration as bees.
That is amazing. Nature is pretty damn cool. I had a couple of books when I was younger with titles such as 100 Things You Didn't Know about Reptiles/Snakes/Insects etc. One of the things that stood out to me was the Bulldog ants. They're supposed to be pretty aggresive and possess a nasty bite/sting. I think the reason it stood out was because it said that the ants have killed humans before. It seems natural for spiders and such to be dangerous, but I had always thought ants were just crazy colonial workers who went after sweets.
GFWL: studaud (for SF4)
Tycho can open jars with his.
Not to mention that their wings can flap 15-80 times per second.
Here is couple facts I found from internet:
And my favorite crazy animal? A water bear. SUPERMAN of the animal kingdom.
From Wikipedia.
Tardigrades are very hardy animals; scientists have reported their existence in hot springs, on top of the Himalaya, under layers of solid ice and in ocean sediments. Many species can be found in a milder environment like lakes, ponds and meadows, while others can be found in stone walls and roofs. Basically, all tardigrades need to do is remain moist in order to be active. They are therefore most common in moist environments.
Tardigrades are one of the few groups of species that are capable of reversibly suspending their metabolism and going into a state of cryptobiosis. Several species regularly survive in a dehydrated state for nearly ten years. Depending on the environment they may enter this state via anhydrobiosis, cryobiosis, osmobiosis or anoxybiosis. While in this state their metabolism lowers to less than 0.01% of what is normal and their water content can drop to 1% of normal. Their ability to remain desiccated for such a long period is largely dependent on the high levels of the non-reducing sugar trehalose, which protects their membranes.
Tardigrades have been known to withstand the following extremes while in this state:
* Temperature — tardigrades can survive being heated for a few minutes to 151°C or being chilled for days at -200°C, or for a few minutes at -272°C. (1° warmer than absolute zero).
* Radiation — as shown by Raul M. May from the University of Paris, tardigrades can withstand 5,700 grays or 570,000 rads of x-ray radiation. (Ten to twenty grays or 1000-2000 rads could be fatal to a human).
* Pressure — they can withstand the extremely low pressure of a vacuum and also very high pressures, many times greater than atmospheric pressure. It has recently been proven that they can survive in the vacuum of space. Recent research has notched up another feat of endurability; apparently they can withstand 6000 atmospheres pressure, which is nearly six times the pressure of water in the deepest ocean trench.
* Dehydration - tardigrades have been shown to survive nearly one decade in a dry state.
Recent experiments conducted by Cai and Zabder have also shown that these water bears can undergo chemobiosis — a cryptobiotic response to high levels of environmental toxins. However, their results have yet to be verified.
http://www.tardigrades.com/
There are only 2 venomous lizards, according to popular wisdom - the Gila Monster and Mexican beaded lizard. However, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8331.html says that this is liable to be over turned.
The cheater is the only big cat that can purr. So cute.
Sharks have special sensors along their flanks that allow them to sense a prey's electical signal... You cant hide!
In a fight between a male Lion and Tiger, the Lion would win - apparently that mane is an awesome defense for the neck.
Octopi are really smart. There have been documented cases where they have opened jars to retrieve a reward inside (these things freak me out... Japanese octopus porn art (yes, it exists) is 7 different types of wrong)
To a domestic house cat, a squint can be analogous to a smile.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Hippos are the deadliest animals in africa (they cause more deaths than any other apparently)
Elephants cant jump.
Rinos make fun of the elephants because of this.
They're way smaller than you'd expect if you've only seen video footage of them stuffing about in streams.
Scallops have bright blue eyes. Angry eyes.
The shellfish? Eyes?
Same here.
Apparently female hyenas have bigger penises (and more testosterone) than males do, and even give birth through them. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of tearing involved, so a lot of hyenas die during childbirth.
In my 3DS: Super Smash Bros, AC New Leaf
Last game completed: Steamworld Dig
Sometimes if the cat is smart enough it understands the meaning of eyes and can relate your eyes with its own and blinks at the exact same time as you if you look it in the eyes (I have tested this with my cats, some of them can do it.)
Cats have a natural instict to go high.
When a cat hits you with its tail it might mean that it's annoyed at you.
E-GAH!
It's like...it hates everything and wants to kill it. You can read it from it's eyes....
That is the scariest fucking thing.
seriously, we used to dig for scallops when I was a kid... If I'd only imagined the fury held within!
this fact and many others can be found at project puffin
what a great animal
OH MY GOD. I'm going to see those in my fucking sleep.
Mother koalas shit right down their babies' throats. No joke.
Its amazing how fast something so cute looses all appeal when you watch it feeding its baby its shit.
Elephants have a unique lining in their chest cavity that prevents their lungs from rupturing and their dying. It clearly evolved in the water, which means that the ancestors of elephants evolved to live in the water, once again, and then evolved further to come back out.
So, like the rest of us, they ultimately originated in the water (or rather the ancestor they share in common with all vertebrates), they came out of the water (or rather the ancestor they share with all land vertebrates), but then went back in the water (like whales did), and finally came out of the water once again. Those crazy elephants, they're flip-floppers.
They also sound weird.
https://www.savethekoala.com/sounds/koalagrunt.wav
Hee hee hee. Cute little buggers, I think somebody just got laid.
I heard they were mean and have very sharp claws but they're just too lazy most of the time.
The Catholics like Puffin because they believe it is technically half fish, which means they can eat it on a Friday and during lent.
Guinea pigs have two anuses, one of which excretes half digested grass to be reconsumed. In South America, herds of the little guys are kept in households as a source of meat.
Ia, ia, Cthulhu fhtagn!
On the subject of genetic similarities, the female nine banded armadillo continually produces quadruplets with each litter. Each armadillo is born with three identical brothers or sisters out there in the world. That isn't even the weirdest thing about these animals though, because the nine banded armadillo is also nature's bouyancy vest. The armadillo's shell is so heavy that it sinks to the bottom of rivers, and over short distances will just walk across the bottom. Over long distances however, it sucks huge amounts of air into its intestines, until it's doubled in size, then floats. It then has to sit around for hours slowly farting it all back out.
And of course, by now, most people have seen how some frogs deal with an upset stomach.
Chimpanzees make and use spears to hunt small monkeys. They also use sticks to dig termites out of trees.
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/02/chimpanzees_make_and_use_spear.php
Tigers can climb trees. There's nowhere to hide!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDqtiZZIY0
Leopards are ridiculously strong and can carry huge carcasses up with them as they climb trees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQhDc4Q7GO8
You can push a sponge through a fine-mesh sieve and it will recombine. To reproduce, all the sponges of a species send out their sperm and eggs on a single night, often the full moon.
They're also the bottom of the totem pole, if I recall correctly. Cry of the Kalahari gave a whole detailed pecking order. They don't hunt too much because they expend so much energy doing it that it's more efficient to scavange.
Woah.