Colugo Fliers

No, no, this isn't a flying squirrel. It's a flying lemur. But it isn't a lemur either. It's a colugo.

Native to southeast Asia, these nocturnal creatures make for amazing fliers, capable of gliding upwards of 230 feet from one tree to the next.

The colugo might be able to pass for cute, as long as those flaps aren't engaged. But when fully deployed it's hard to see anything else but those expanses of fleshy membranes. And fleshy membranes aren't cute.

See that little baby colugo clinging to mommy's belly? Now, that is cute. Down right adorable. It takes about 2-3 years for colugolings to mature. Sad is the day when mommy has to tell the growing colugo, "Honey, I'm sorry. But you're just to big to fly. Mommy can't carry you anymore"

Hmm, there's a children's story in there somewhere.

I imagine one of the cutest things to witness would be the maiden voyage of a little colugo, as it gathers up its courage, spreads its limbs, straightens its tail, and takes a bold, but still timid leap into the air...

Intrepid Flytraps

I don't think I've ever cheered for a plant before. Sure, I've admired them, eaten them, given them as gifts, and breathed their oxygen. But ever rooted for one? This is a first.

Those two tangles of legs belong to a pair of harvestmen. My world just got a bit brighter with the knowledge that somewhere out there are intrepid Venus flytraps who endeavor to keep me safe from my arachnid enemies. Maybe I'll plant these around my bed. Then I can sleep peacefully, knowing that the chances of a harvestman scrambling across my face while I sleep is next to nil.

Photo source: welcome hank

Primitive Planarian

Photo source: Georgia University FACES
Should you stumble across one of these creatures, which are rare in most parts of the US, you have one of three options. 1) Resign yourself to the fact that you're the sorry sap at the beginning of an alien invasion that has the misfortune of having made first contact, and you'll be consumed and rendered a zombie, or 2) simply shrug, smash it, and move along, or 3) do a bit of investigation and find out what it is.

If you choose that last option, you'll discover that you have indeed encountered an invasive species (unless you're in east Asia), one that has made its way around the world in nursery pots (or in human spinal columns...). You've encountered a Land Planarian (which happens to be a great name for an alien race).

These primitive flatworms have no circulatory or respiratory system, and no skeletal structure. They don't have eyes, and their mouth, which is halfway down their belly, also double as their anus (which I've found to be true among quite a few humans, too). They ambulate by gliding upon a bed of mucus of their own making, and they dine on earthworms, slugs, and human happiness. They're harmless, unless you are a happy human, or an earthworm (the planarian will attack prey 10-times its size to suck out worm juice).

Last but not least, they can procreate by laying eggs, or by budding, or by simply squeezing off part of its tail, which will then sprout into a new planarian.

Thanks for the planarian, David.

Turtle Rescue

Two points to make on this video: 1) Hats off to those who took the time to whisk this softshell turtle off to safety (or the cook pot, for all we know...), and 2) this is why you keep your fingers away from these aquatic hunters.

Thanks for the video, Ida.

Lunar ROUS

Photo source: ListVerse.com
ROUS alert. This beast, known as the moon rat (Echinosorex gymnurus), is the largest member of the order of Insectivora. That's right, there's no larger rodent-like scourge among the terrestrial invertebrates of Southeast Asia than the moon rat, which gets to be the size of a house cat.

What really ups their charm, besides those wee beady eyes, that glistening nose, and its scaly tail, is the onion or strong garlic smell they secrete from their anal glands.

Hmm, pair this creature up with the vinegaroon, and you've got yourself a ready-made salad dressing.

Thanks for the moon rat, David.

Mite Cleaning Crew

I've always found the idea of 'cleaner animals' endearing: like the yellow tangs who clean sea turtles of parasites, or the birds who pluck ticks off of buffalo and rhino hides. And for some reason, that same disposition lends itself to finding the scene below almost a bit heart-warming.

Those are little cleaner mites, as seen beneath an electron microscope, who have set up shop on cockroaches to keep them tidy.

Photo source: Jay Yoder via Popular Science


















Specifically, these mites are eating moist debris from around the breathing holes of a Madagascar hissing cockroach. The cockroaches are said to harbor some 14 different species of mold, and the mites help keep the mold in check. That makes the roaches less of an allergen for us humans, though the mites themselves are an allergen. Double-edged sword. Seems you just can't win with mites.

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Newt Ribs

I know, these newts looks like your run-of-the-mill newt. Nothing extraordinary to look at, though they might be fun to keep in a terrarium.

Photo source: Peter Halasz via Budapest Zoo



















What you don't know is that the Spanish ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, has a rare talent: it can thrust the pointed ends of its rib cage through its sides to produce defensive spurs.

Photo source: BBC via PopularScience.com

When it comes to dealing with self defense mechanisms, I've become pretty adept, at least when it comes to countering my son's ploys to avoid a diaper change. He tries the time-honored tricks of flailing, rolling, flopping, and making himself dead weight by going limp. I've learned a blend of distraction, cajoling, good humor, and a patented leg lock (to be used on the floor only) to get said diaper changed. If, however, I ran the risk of my boy intentionally thrusting his ribs through his flanks to pierce my hands with their pointy ends, diaper changing would be an entirely different ordeal. That's escalation on a level with which I am not prepared to contend.

Thanks for the newt, Ida.

The Benefits of a Short, Broad Skull

The wrinkle-faced bat, known to be frugivorous despite being closely related to the vampire bat, has long been known for its abominable face. But it's the shape of the skull that has puzzled researchers.

Photo source: BBC News


















It's recently been determined that the short, broad shape of the skull gives the wrinkle-faced bat a 20% stronger bite than bats of a similar size (Centurio senex weighs in at a mere 17 grams). Why such a powerful bite on a fruit-eating bat? All the better to eat their way through thicker fruit skins during lean times, my dear.

So, if you encounter one in the wild, feel free to scream and flail and run away, but know that the only danger this bat poses (unless you're a fruit) comes in the form of what is left in the seat of your pants after said encounter.

Thanks for the article, Luke.