The First Instar

I had no idea that Madagascar hissing cockroaches ... issued their young like this. They're just spilling out of her!

I learned a new word today: instar. Arthropods such as insects must moult to grow. The phase between each moult, but prior to sexual maturity, is called an instar. So, can one of your experts confirm this: these wee roach nymphs can be said to not even be of the first instar yet, since they have yet to moult?

Hissers must be of at least the fourth instar before they can beginning hissing. I'll bet roach nymphs can't wait till that fourth moult. Such a milestone...

UPDATE: Joe has informed me that a new nymph is considered to be in its first instar. Furthermore, the final instar prior to sexual maturity is called the Penultimate Instar (great name for a rock band). When the first of my own brood reaches that gangly stage of puberty I'll accuse them of being in their penultimate instar and see what they have to say about that. Thanks, Joe.

Photo source: Matt Reinbold

A Man with a Snake in His Mouth

For all I know, this man might be a very dutiful snake owner. Maybe he runs a rescue operation, does captive breeding for endangered species, and is a diligent defender of snakes the world over. Or, maybe the snake tried to strike at him, and the man is so fast that he caught the strike with his mouth, ninja-style.

But when I look at this photo, the darker part of me hopes that the snake has latched on to the man's tongue and intends to swallow him whole, tongue first. But it isn't so much the thoughts that occur to us that condemn us, but the thoughts that we entertain. So, I'll stick with the former scenario. He's a good man with a snake in his mouth.

BTW, what kind of snake is this?

UPDATE: This looks to be a king cobra, though it's likely that it has been defanged. Score one for my dark side.

Interesting Reproductive Techniques

What is that you're looking at? The abdomen of a female Mediterranean mantis (Iris oratoria) and the egg sac she is producing. That egg sac most likely contains 100-200 eggs, and when they hatch, the local insect world will need to run for cover.

Photo source: Stavros Markopoulos

Two reproductive techniques allow this particular species to expand, despite sharing territory with other mantid species. 1) They are capable of parthenogenesis (Greek for "virgin creation") which allows the females to grow offspring from unfertilized eggs, and 2) a second round of mantis nymphs can hatch from the same egg sac, but in the next season, effectively staggering the mantis generations. This produces new nymphs when their older siblings are already grown and have their own offspring.

That must make for interesting family reunions.

It's All About Perspective

Just in case you're having a bad hair day, or a bad neck, face, nose, or teeth day, here are some alpacas against which to make your candle seem brighter. It's all about perspective.

But then some of you might see these photos and think, at least they have hair. At least they're useful, or have some character. I see a children's book in the making here. Something about a toothy alpaca who gets sheared and thinks all is lost, until he meets a blogger who posts on ugly animals and realizes that, by comparison, he's pretty cool.

Photo source: Joel Barhamand

Out for Carrion

You know spring is here when the common snappers come out to prowl. Guard your fingers and toes, especially if you're a corpse, as these creatures are mainly carrion eaters. They have been known to attack swimmers (especially dead ones), so be on the look out.

Photo source: Michael Oberman

Chicken Frog

Photo via BBC.co.uk
Weighing in at 1kg, the mountain chicken frog is one of the largest frogs in all the world. It's definitely the largest amphibian in the Caribbean.

This frog is critically endangered, and some aggressive captive breeding programs have been begun to reconstitute the species. Click here for a video of how these frogs feed their young. Watch as tadpoles devour strings of infertile eggs.

Why are they called the mountain chicken frog? Because that's what they taste like. Not like mountains, but like chicken. That's kinda lame to be named after what you taste like. That would be like a naturalist coming into my house, cinching a tether around my waste, and holding me up for the camera. "Ah, here we have the lowly, slothful, 'the-other-white-meat human.'"

Thanks for the link, Katie.

Sage Grouse In All His Glory

Bill saw the earlier post on the sage grouse and found this fantastic video of a male sage grouse doing his mating dance. When my sister's fiance asked my Dad to marry her, my Dad and I both had him do a similar dance to prove his worth. He had a bit of trouble with the air sac thing initially, and we had to improvise on the tail feathers, but it turns out that he's great at beatboxing, so he's in.

Thanks, Bill.

It's Watching Me

It's almost spring, and that means that my backyard will soon be infested with orb weavers. This is what one looks like when it's watching me through the window at night. It's thinking about sneaking in and lapping at the drool that's collecting on my pillow. But I've got an ear-piercing shriek that will shatter its chitin, so I'm okay.

Photo source: Andrew Teng