In The Mop Bucket

Terri encountered this spider in her mop bucket. Now, it takes little provocation for me to walk away from a mopping job. But this? I could legitimately get away with not mopping the kitchen floor for a month, since my wife is understanding when it comes to my arachnophobia. It might almost be worth the encounter...

Anyone know what kind of spider this is? The mop bucket in question is in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Is it a huntsman?

Thanks for the photo, Terri. That penny was awful brave for getting so close to the spider.

Cure for Cancer?

If you've been reading this blog for an significant length of time, then you know of my near reverence for the naked mole-rat. For one, they're hairless rodents -- instant launch to the top of any ugly animal list. But beyond that, they've got some amazing characteristics.

They are the only mammals that are cold-blooded (they maintain their body heat by cuddling and staying underground), are hive-minded (like ants), and are able to enlarge their spine (the queen does, when she ascends the throne). Additionally, their teeth grow outside their lips, so they can keep their mouths closed when they burrow with their teeth. They're known to be incredibly gregarious and curious.

Photo source: Popular Science
















But there's something else about them that has scientists reeling: they're immune to cancer. Us vertebrates have a gene called p27 which serves as our main defense against cancer. But cancers have found ways to circumvent p27, thereby allowing the cancerous cells to proliferate themselves. But naked mole-rats are unique in that they have an additional gene called p16, which stops cancers cold, by preventing the affected cells from replicating themselves.

Is it possible that future humans will be sporting the naked mole-rate p16 in their own DNA? Perhaps the world will become a better place, with us becoming more gregarious. But then we might also become cold-blooded troglodytes that are prone to burrowing and shunning that bright orb hanging in the sky...

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Gratuitous Gators and Crocs

I thought you all could use a gratuitous spread of crocodiles and alligators. Whether you consider them 'living fossils,' the bane of Captain Hook, or a platform from which to launch a dazzling TV career, these creatures might one day offer up profound medical advances (how do these oft-wounded swamp dwellers heal so well?).

Until then, they'll continue to be objects of conservation and curiosity, nuisances on Floridian golf courses, and the inspiration for myriad logos and mascots. And, of course, the stuff of nightmares.

Mama Got Sac

When Lisa unlocked her door to help her husband inside she was greeted with the lovely lady below. How do I, an office monkey with meager biological training, know it's a wolf spider? Because I've been posting on uglies for nearly four years now.

I can tell by the fact that she's carrying her egg sac (that silken orb) by her spinnerets, which behavior is unique to wolf spiders. In just a short while the spiderlings inside will burst forth and commit another behavior unique to wolf spiders: the bearing of the young on the mother's back.






















There are many varieties of wolf spiders, and they're found pretty much everywhere. If you're reading this blog, you're almost guaranteed to have one lurking nearby. That being said, not all wolf spiders are equal. Some are large, some are small. Some are avid hunters, some simply lie in wait.

I am aware on at least a weekly basis of the fact that I live in a part of the world (the Sacramento Valley) that doesn't boast of any local spider species that get any larger than a quarter. That fact is one of my chief blessings in life. Some of you might be able to disprove that fact, in case I'm wrong. And if I am wrong, I am very, very happy in my ignorance and misinformation. I don't need to know otherwise.

Thanks for the photo, Lisa. You'll have a whole little wolf spider pack lurking about your house next year.

Of Shear Force and Shingles

What good is a sea urchin without spines? Well, I'll tell you.

Here you've got the Indo Pacific Shingle (or Helmet) Urchin (Colobocentrotus atratus). According to Echinoblog (great site, folks), they are found in rocky intertidal areas of the South and Central Pacific. What benefit does having a helmet-shaped body serve this sea urchin? Turns out that their native waters can flow at high rates, and their shape offsets the effects of shear force.





















But the true power of this little beast is seen only when you upend one. Take a look at those tube feet (especially in the last photo). They enable the shingle urchin to withstand water flows of a couple magnitudes greater than your spiny urchine. Those spines won't do you much good if you're swept away with the current, Mr. Spiny Urchin. Nope, best to keep a low profile, like Mr. Shingle Urchin.

Thanks for the uchin, Jelo.

Jellynose Fish

This fish is a real charmer. He was discovered dead off the coast of Brazil. He's a deep-sea jellynose fish (Ateleopodidae).

This fish has a scaleless, tapered body and is around six foot in length (I might describe my own body this way). Not much is known about them (as is the case with most deep-sea life), but it's believed that they scavenge along the ocean floor and eat whatever they suck up. My infant son has similar eating habits. When mommy isn't looking, I let him loose beneath the dining table after dinner. Once he's done, I don't have to sweep.

Thanks for the article, Leslie.

Mating Mollusks

All you children should turn away. Parents, send them from the room. Clicking this video will give you a David Attenborough narration of leopard slugs mating. And it's graphic! Whew, the camera doesn't miss a moment. It's almost...artistic. There's an awful lot of bending and twisting and sliding. And slime. Oodles of slime.

Thanks, Moneca.

To Defoliate an Automobile

What do you do if you're an ermine moth larvae and you and your horde have run out of trees to defoliate? If you're in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, you turn to automobiles.

This is the scene the Dutch woke up to one late Spring day. They immediately thought they were under siege by a giant spider. They were relieved to find that they had instead been descended upon by caterpillars. The webbing is meant to protect the caterpillars while they feast and then pupate.

Sidenote: Much to my relief, no cars were defoliated in the making of these webs.

Thanks for the link, Mike.

Photo source: NGM Blog Central