Vulture Chick

Here are a few shots of a lappet-faced vulture chick taken from its nest in Etosha, Namibia, for the purposes of taking a blood sample and tagging.

Though the lappet-faced vulture is the largest of the Old World vultures, and is known for its aggression and belligerence, the chicks were remarkably docile. So much so that they didn't fight being extracted from their nest (last photo) and didn't even balk at having their blood drawn (middle photo). In fact, they just laid down through the whole ordeal (first photo), and didn't make any attempts to escape, despite not being restrained.

I've had two children who were particularly docile and easy-going in their infancy. Both have since become the two scrappiest spitfires of the brood. Maybe a child or vulture whisperer could weigh in on the psychology of that.

Photos by Carrie Cizauskas

Tools and Adaptation

Like the superhero inspired by this creature, this bat has a variety of tools at its disposal. It's got the ears, jaws, brain pan, and nasal array for transmitting and receiving echolocation signals, the wings for flapping about, claws, etc. It's also got another tool of which most bats can't boast: suction cups on their thumbs and hind feet. How handy (literally).

The suction cups (adhesive organs) with which the sucker-footed bat (Myzopoda aurita) is endowed allows it to perch on and scale up a wide variety of otherwise treacherous vertical surfaces. Though most of the endemic wildlife of Madagascar is under threat (with only 8% of its original forest left intact), this particular bat is of least concern, since it has adapted itself well to urban and suburban living.

Tools and adaptation at work, people. Batman would be so proud.

Thanks, Jelo.

Sibling Abuse

ZooBorns comes through for us again. Behold a silvery-cheeked hornbill chick. This particular bairn can be found at The Central Florida Zoo. It's being raised by the keepers since its older sibling was picking on it.

I had a similar experience with my twin daughters. For the first few months of their lives they shared a crib. But as they became more able and willing to flail their arms, they became a danger to one another, and we had to separate them into their own cribs. It seems that sibling abuse is no respecter of species.

Thanks, Jonathan.

Check Your Boots

Photo by Catherine Stevens
When backpacking I've learned always to check my boots before putting them on in the morning. But I realized just now that I've become complacent about inspecting my shoes when I'm home. Who's to say that a spider didn't take residence in them on any given night? My property is riddled with black widows, after all.

I need to be more vigilant. I'm talking Mad-Eye Moody vigilant.

Reaching Out and Touch Someone

Photo by irathemacdad
I'm telling you folks, you can't let spiders get access to your phones, not unless you have unlimited minutes and some sort of beefy data plan.

With those eight limbs they are avid texters. With their huge broods, they have lots of family to keep in touch with. And really, do you want to go scrolling through your downloads after a he-spider has been on it, only to find risque photos of black widows?

UPDATE: Jaden, our resident tarantula expert, is pretty sure this is an Aphonopelma hentzi, which is Latin for 'he who texts with impunity,' aka Oklahoma brown tarantula.

Dangling Apple Eater

Photo by David Fletcher
The fruit bat's face when combined with the wholesome image of nibbling on an apple borders on charming. But then you look at that wing, it's claw, and the claw holding the fruit, and it all changes.

I spent way too much time staring at this photo trying to sort it out. The bat's hands are its wings, so I was trying to figure out how in the world it has a free hand to grasp the apple. Then I thought, hey, it doesn't have any free hands, since it doesn't have hands at all! And this is where I get really brilliant (been sleep deprived lately)...then I thought, hey, that's its foot! An apple-clutching foot. The other foot must be bearing the weight of the bat on its own. Again, seeing it dangling by one foot while it ate an apple could be cute. But it's a bat.

Culinary Delights

I think I keep doing food posts as a means on curbing my own appetite. It would've helped today, but I've already had a double cheeseburger for lunch. No fries, though. Perhaps these grasshoppers, spotted in a Saudi Arabian market would have fulfilled my snack cravings, if properly salted.

Photo by Vit Hassan




















As for these last two photos, both taken in Lang Sơn, Vietnam, I can justify eels, since I've had eel fillets (though never in a bucket of froth). But wasps? What happens to the stinger? Does the poison become inert after a time? Are they plucked out in advance of eating? Do you hold the wasp by the stinger, then munch on the rest, like when you hold onto a shrimp's tail? So much to learn!

Fleshiness

This is called a Serra-Pau, which I believe is Portuguese for a variety of longhorn beetle. But don't quote me. Maybe a Brazilian etomologist can clear this up.

I've never thought to look a longhorn beetle in the mouth, but now that I have, I'm surprised. I've come to expect nasty mandibles and articulated parts in my insects. But the innards of this mouth almost look to be fleshy. Is that possible? I just assumed that it would be all chitin and hardness, but I guess insects are allowed to have soft spots too. That might almost be endearing, if it didn't involve a part that wanted to eat me.

UPDATE: Thanks to anonymous, this looks much more like a female dobsonfly than a longhorn beetle.

Photo by Caio Whitaker