New Monitor

Usually when you hear of new species being found, they're bitty little bugs or out of the way fish. Rare is the new species a large one, a mega-fauna like this six foot monitor lizard.

Researchers discovered it in the Sierra Madre mountains in the north of the The Philippines. True, the locals have known about them all along, but only recently have biologists gotten their hands on them. Varanus bitatawa eats fruit exclusively, and they're very reclusive, which is the only reason biologists can think of for why they've remained unknown to the science. They stick to their forests and never cross open ground. That's my kind of giant lizard--shy and out of sight.

Thanks for the link, Tom

Photo source: Joseph Brown via BBC

Ogre-Face

Behold the glorious visage of the ogre-faced spider (family Deinopidae). These spiders are unique in the arachnid world for their method of catching prey. The are found worldwide in the tropics.

Photo source: G. McGavin via BBC

They hang face down with a rectangular net dangling between their feet. When an unsuspecting insect rolls by, the spider presses the web on them, and the insect is ensnared. The web isn't sticky. It's so wooly that the prey gets entangled.

I used similar techniques to ensnare my younger siblings when I was going through a ... more aggressive phase of my childhood, using blankets and sheets. And, by coincidence, my siblings came up with a variety of nicknames for me: stupid-face, dumb-face, ugly-face, and, yes, ogre-face.

Thanks for leading me to this little monster, Tom.

Three Years Later

Back in January 2007 I posted on a deep sea frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) that had been found alive off the coast of Japan. I only posted photos then, not knowing that there was video. The shark didn't long survive captivity (too warm, too shallow). So, more than three years later, here's the video. Be thankful you're a surface-dweller.

Thanks, Thanh.

Sidenote: They bear live young, typically 2-12 pups. I never knew that baby sharks were called pups. That's even cuter than 'fry.'

Lego Spider

Doctor Mobius crafted for himself a massive spider made of thousands of Lego pieces. That Legos should be put to such evil uses is an affront to all of my cherished childhood memories.

Well, maybe I'm not so much affronted as I am jealous. I've never been cool enough to make something like this. Look at all those antennae used for hairs! Is that genius or what? It even comes with eggs in the abdomen (first shot) and a place for troops (last shot). The fang even siphon human souls, like most spiders.

Thanks for the link, Jaden.

Isopodmania

I got barraged with links to several giant isopod articles. That means two things: 1) you folks think of me (or my blog) when you see something ugly, and that's heart-warming (I think), and 2) there's consensus that the giant isopod has a permanent home here.

The giant isopod is the deep-sea cousin to the wood louse, or roly poly or pillbug, that you'll find in your backyard. This particular specimen is a good two and a half feet long, which is large or its kind, but not out of the ordinary.

Photo source: Ross Gwynn

Yahoo! Editor's have a great gallery on Flickr of various isopod photos they've found on the web. Here's one such, to give you a sense of proportion:

But I didn't just get sent links. Sherry also sent me this post on how to make a plush giant isopod, from Deep Sea News.

But Sherry didn't stop there. Her photoshop-errific friend Lisa Halverson made for us a photo of isopods playing poker. It's destined to become a classic. We just need a large supply of black velvet.

Thanks to co-producers Reed, Sherry, Lisa, Leslie, Terri, Julie, and Judy.

Dewy Insects

Enjoy these dewy photos. Makes me thankful I've got a roof over my head. Also makes me thankful that we've got photographers like Miroslaw Swietek to capture such images.

Thanks for the arcticle, Ida.

Photo source: Miroslaw Swietek via DailyMail.co.uk

Camouflaged Spread

Jaden sent us this link from ThisBlogRules.com. Enjoy this spread of camouflaged creatures, including a crab spider, a scorpion fish, a stone fish, and an orchid mantis. Thanks, Jaden.

Atraxotoxin

Sydney funnel-web spiders are one of only two Australian funnel-web spiders known to have inflicted fatal bites on humans. Combine their toxicity with their aggression, and you've got a notorious spider.

They range in size from 1 to 3 inches, with the females being larger. The females spend their time in their silken, tubular burrow retreats, while the males spend the warmer months wandering about in search of a receptive female.

Back to their venom: it contains a substance known as atraxotoxin (good name for a rock band?), which is highly toxic to primates. We humans are therefore advised to steer clear of these spiders. The males seek out water, and are therefore often found floating in pools. But they have survive such conditions for 24-hours, and can still deliver a full envenomation bite if plucked from the water without care. Said the funnel-web spider to its bitten savior, "You knew what I was when you pulled me from the water."

Photo source: Tim Marshall