Computer Monkey

I have to admit it. This picture gave me a moment of existential pause. This scene has played itself out too often in my home. Not that we have a harem of hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) living in our house. How many times have I been pecking away at the computer with the wife and kids looking on, waiting for me to show some YouTube video, or trying to explain why I do a blog about ugly animals.

But you know what this means for me personally? It means that baboons have Internet access now, and it's only a matter of time before they stumble across this blog and read what I've written about them. I'm going to have to go into hiding, get off the grid. Anyone care to take in a blogger-in-hiding?

Thanks for the photo, Ida.

Photo source: ChrisL_AK

Moley Moley Moley

For this post I thought I would juxtapose an actual mole photo with that of a mole cricket. These two creatures have quite a bit in common. They're omnivores that burrow looking for food, and are considered to be pests in most areas. Unlike the mole, however, the mole cricket can fly. That would add a whole new complication to mole abatement if we had to chase down flying ones.



Photo source: Knuttz.net

Mekong Catfish

You've no doubt seen photos on the web of the insanely huge mekong catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) of Southeast Asia. But have you seen a video of one?

Check out this monster. This endangered fish gets to be 10 feet long and 650 lbs. It gains that bulk by eating plant matter, algae, and precious human children.

Writing Spiders

In this photo all you see is the demon spider (Argiope s.) lurking in its web. What you don't see terribly well is the squiggly stretch of silk it places in the center of its web.

These spiders were once called "writing spiders", because of the stabilimenta (those squiggles I mentioned), which were thought to be some sort of communication a al Charlotte's Web. Studies have shown that diurnal spiders that employ stabilimenta are 34% less successful in catching their prey, but their webs are far less likely to be damaged, because lumbering humans like me and other passing creatures (birds, etc.), can more readily spot and avoid the web.

We should pass some sort of legislation that requires all spiders to include stabilimenta in their webs. It's the least our arachnid neighbors can do. How about it, legislators?

Photo source: Sean McCann

Sun, Wind, and Camel

Photo source: Igor Siwanowicz
Here are some more gems from Igor. You may know this creature as the camel spider (it's got a bunch of names--wind scorpion, sun spider, sun scoropion, et al), but it is neither a spider nor a scorpion. It's in its own fancy order of arachnida (Solifugae).

Here are two charming descriptions from Wikipedia. First, on feeding:

Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx.

Mmm. Slurp slurp.

Next, on mating:

[On Solpugids in general] Reproduction can involve direct or indirect sperm transfer; when indirect, the male emits a spermatophore on the ground and then inserts it with his chelicerae in the female's genital pore. To do this, he flings the female on its back.

Romantic creatures, these Solpugids.

Thanks for the photos, Igor.

Dining On Coral

The green humphead parrotfish (Bolpometopon muricatum) is a large beast. It reaches 4 feet in length and can weigh up to 100 lbs. They are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans and are known to be somewhat skittish.

The eat algae and coral. That gnarly beak is what allows them to chomp live corral down into tasty bits. And what is that humphead for? Why, they sometimes ram coral with it to break it up. All the better to eat coral with, my dear.

I might adapting some of that behavior to my own dining experience. Perhaps a head-butted pizza will go down easier.

Here's a video of a school of them. Watch those chompers in action.

Thanks for the photo, Ida.

Photo source: UnderwaterPhotography.com

Wrinkle Character

Matt sent us a picture of his friend's pug. Pug's have a rich and long history as a breed. Most sources agree that they hail from China, dating back to before 400 B.C.

The Chinese of those by-gone years bred dogs for wrinkles and markings that looked like Chinese characters. In the case of the pug, they were bred for facial wrinkles that formed a W, which resembles the Chinese character for 'prince'.

Do you know what this means for all of us as we grow old and wrinkled? We need only search for patterns and characters in our wrinkles to take pleasure in them, as opposed to dreading the steady onslaught of age.

I think I just spotted the Egyptian hieroglyph for Anubis in my mother-in-law's crow's feet. That can't be good.

Childhood Dream Fulfilled

The Desert Horned Lizard is found only in western North America, a point of pride for Americans and Mexicans alike. Like many children (myself included), Igor Siwanowicz was fascinated by them.

But why, you ask, is the horned lizard so appealing to children (at least the disturbed ones). Is it their diet of ants, beetles, and spiders? No, not really. How about how they bury themselves in sand to lie in wait? No, not that either. They're not aggressive. In fact they're quite gentle and won't even bite. The worst they might do is try to push their head spikes into your hand, and that's just plain old endearing.

Oh, maybe it's because they can squirt blood from their eyes up to five feet if threatened. That might arouse a kid's interest.

Photo source: Igor Siwanowicz

















Igor sent me these photos with the explanation that he was able to live out his childhood dream by procuring a pair of these critters and getting to photograph them. And the world is better for it. Igor is one of the most talented photographers you'll ever find, so stay tuned. I have a more heading your way.

As always, thanks Igor.