Archives: Biodiversity

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

A crustacean packing a punch

Don’t let the beautiful first appearance of these marine crustaceans fool you. Mantis shrimps (Stomatopoda) are not to be messed with!

Worldwide there are about 400 described species of Mantis shrimps. Even if they are fairly common in many tropical and sub-tropical waters, we still don’t know much about all of them as many spend much of their lives hiding in burrows and holes. But what we do know have earned them nicknames such as “prawn killers” (Australia) and “thumb splitters” (pretty much worldwide).

Mantis shrimps are commonly divided up into Spearers and Smashers. The names refer to the appearance of the first appendage or claw, which is used to catch prey.

Spearers have spiny appendages with barbed tips that look and work a lot like hand spears used in fishing. The spearing mantis shrimps rapidly unfold the appendages to catch and snag potential prey.

Smashers on the other hand have a slightly different and more developed method. The first appendages have large clubs strong enough to break the shells of snails and crabs. And if that wasn’t enough, they can hit with speeds of 23m/s and acceleration of more than 10,000 Gs, about the same acceleration as a .22 caliber bullet! It is the fastest punch in the animal kingdom, enough to break the glass of an aquarium, which they apparently have done! They are also known to protect themselves against any intruders or potential threats. Even humans who can’t keep their hands away. No wonder they are called thumb splitters…

This can leave one thinking how they can do this without breaking themselves? It turns out that the answer lies in both the chemical components of the club and how these components are packaged, giving the mantis shrimp an advantage against its hard-shelled opponents. It can therefore use the same club for thousands of hits before the club eventually needs to be replaced. Then animal then simply looses the old club and grows a new one.

The most well-known species of smashing mantis shrimps is the Peacock Mantis. In the saltwater aquarium trade, the peacock mantis shrimps are both loved for their beauty and hated for their violent personalities.

Eyes

Besides having the fastest punch, they also have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. They can see as many as 12 different colors (compared to human eyes that see three). In addition the mantis shrimp has four extra photoreceptor pigments for color filtering. In addition to seeing many more colors, the mantis shrimp can also see ultraviolet light and detect different planes of polarized light and circular polarized light. Plus their eyes are stalked, so they can turn them independently to scan pretty much everything around them without having to turn the body! So they can see what’s in front of them AND look at their own butt at the same time!

Durian

The durian is considered the King of Fruits. There are 30 species of durians, although only a handful are eaten.

The smell of the fruit is overpowering. Because of this, they are illegal on most forms of public transportation, something Jonas and Louise found out in our video on the chemistry of the smell!

History

The durian has been known and consumed in southeastern Asia since prehistoric times but has only been known to the western world for about 600 years. The earliest known European reference to the durian is the record of Niccolò Da Conti, who travelled to southeastern Asia in the 15th century. Translated from the Latin in which Poggio Bracciolini recorded Da Conti’s travels: “They (people of Sumatra) have a green fruit which they call durian, as big as a watermelon. Inside there are five things like elongated oranges, and resembling thick butter, with a combination of flavors.”

The Portuguese physician Garcia de Orta described durians in Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India published in 1563. In 1741, Herbarium Amboinense by the German botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius was published, providing the most detailed and accurate account of durians for over a century. The genus Durio has a complex taxonomy that has seen the subtraction and addition of many species since it was created by Rumphius. During the early stages of its taxonomical study, there was some confusion between durian and the soursop (Annona muricata), for both of these species had thorny green fruit. It is also interesting to note the Malay name for the soursop is durian Belanda, meaning Dutch durian. In the 18th century, Johann Anton Weinmann considered the durian to belong to Castaneae as its fruit was similar to the horse chestnut.

jonas-stenstrom-with-durian

Ocellated Turkey

The body feathers of both sexes are a mixture of bronze and green iridescent color. Although females can be duller with more green, the breast feathers do not generally differ and cannot be used to determine sex. Neither sex possesses the beard typically found in Wild Turkeys. Tail feathers of both sexes are bluish-grey, with an eye-shaped, blue-bronze spot near the end with a bright gold tip. The spots, or ocelli (located on the tail), for which the Ocellated Turkey is named, have been likened to the patterning typically found on peafowl.[2] The upper, major secondary wing coverts are rich iridescent copper. The primary and secondary wing feathers have similar barring to that of North American turkeys, but the secondaries have more white, especially around the edges.

Both sexes have blue heads with some orange or red nodules, which are more pronounced on males. The males also have a fleshy blue crown covered with nodules, similar to those on the neck, behind the snood. During breeding season this crown swells up and becomes brighter and more pronounced in its yellow-orange color. The eye is surrounded by a ring of bright red skin, which is most visible on males during breeding season. The legs are deep red and are shorter and thinner than on North American turkeys. Males over one year old have spurs on the legs that average 4 cm (1.5 inches), which lengths of over 6 cm (2.5 inches) being recorded. These spurs are much longer and thinner than on North American turkeys.

Ocellated Turkeys are much smaller than any of the subspecies of North American Wild Turkey, with adult hens weighing about 4 kg (8 pounds) before laying eggs and 3 kg (6–7 pounds) the rest of the year, and adult males weighing about 5–6 kg (11–15 pounds) during breeding season.[3]

Seven-Spot Ladybug

The seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Interestingly though, it is not native to the US. It was introduced from Europe as a biological control agent to help reduce the number of aphids on crop plants.

ladybug

This ladybug is also called the seven-spot ladybird or simply “C-7.” The elytra (covering of the bugs) is red in color but has three black spots on each wing and one spot that is on both.  Together this makes a total of seven spots.  Its latin name reflects these marks (septem means “seven” and punctata means “spotted”)

Red-eyed Tree Frog

The red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is an arboreal hylid native to Neotropical rainforests in Central America.

As its name suggests, the red-eyed tree frog has red eyes with vertically narrowed pupils. It has a vibrant green body with yellow and blue vertically striped sides. Its webbed feet and toes are orange or red. The skin on the red-eyed tree frog’s stomach is soft and fragile skin, whereas the back is thicker and rougher.

The red-eyed tree frog has three eyelids, and sticky pads on its toes. Phyllomedusid tree frogs are arboreal animals, meaning they spend a majority of their lives in trees; they are excellent jumpers.

Red-eyed tree frogs are not poisonous and rely on camouflage to protect themselves. During the day, they remain motionless, cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright feet under their stomachs, and shut their red eyes. Thus, they appear almost completely green, and well hidden among the foliage.

Great White Shark

The largest predatory shark in the ocean is the Great White Shark. Other large sharks, like whale sharks and basking sharks, feed on small planktonic creatures. The Great White Shark, however, feeds on large mammals, fish, whales, and occasionally, they accidentally bite humans. So why are these sharks so feared?

How large are Great White Sharks?

Great-White-SharkWhen they are born (often with a dozen other siblings), they are about 1.5 meters (five feet) long.  They slowly grow to become the top of the food chain. A typical Great White Shark is about four to five meters (16 feet) long and has a mass of 680 to 1,000 kilograms (2200 pounds).

The maximum size that a Great White Shark can reach is debated. The largest shark that has been reliably measured was 6.4 meters (21 feet).  It was caught in Cuban waters in 1945.  Possibly the second largest shark was reported by a Canadian Shark Research Center.  A shark measuring 6.1 meters (20 feet) was caught by an Albertan named David McKendrick.

What do Great White Sharks eat?

Great Whites are carnivorous apex predators. Their diet consists of fish (like tuna, other sharks, and rays), dolphins, porpoises, seals, seal lions, whale carcasses, and sometimes sea turtles, sea otters, and penguins. Humans are not on the menu for Great White Sharks, but they are often seriously bitten. There are very few incidents of a Great White doing much more than biting and leaving the scene.

Great White Shark Links

The best source of information on Great Whites are from the scientists doing the research.  We recommend the following:

Venus Flytrap

How do Venus Flytraps eat bugs you ask?

Most people think plant leaves are used for just one thing – photosynthesis. Over time, though, plants have evolved and leaves began taking on new jobs, including defense (spines), water storage (succulent plant leaves), and support (tendrils). One plant, though, has adapted to a whole new level: the Venus Flytrap attracts, detects, traps, digests, and absorbs insects, all using a single modified leaf!

Venus Flytraps: Bug-Eaters Extraordinaire

A Venus Flytrap eats anything and everything small enough to fit within its trap. This usually includes bugs like beetles, spiders, and ants, but it will close on anything it can catch, including small frogs and human fingers (rest assured – no humans were harmed in the making of any films)!

To lure in unsuspecting prey, it carefully sets the trap. The trap surface is a bright red color that often attracts bugs. It also secretes a sugary nectar on the surface of the leaves to get the bugs to stay within the danger zone.

Venus Flytraps Can Count

One of the most amazing things about the Venus Flytrap is that it can actually count. If you peek really close at the inside of the trap, you’ll see a few small long hairs on each side of the trap pointing toward the inside. These are actually triggers that the plant uses to sense what’s going on inside the trap. Each time a trigger is bumped, it sets off a very small electrical signal that travels across the leaf. Bump a trigger once and nothing happens. Bump a trigger twice in a row, though, and the trap shuts. This way, the trap avoids shutting for false alarms like raindrops and makes it more likely to catch wriggling bugs in the trap.

The trap is able to shut by using rapid-fire changes in the turgor pressure of the cells. Think of plant cells as balloons. When fully inflated, they’re very rigid and firm. When partially inflated, they’re very loose and saggy. (One of the reasons plants need to be kept well-watered is to keep their cells fully stocked with water. If you forget to water it, the cells lose water and the plant starts to droop.) When a Venus Flytrap senses prey, it instantly shifts intra-cellular water so that the cells on the outside of the trap become very rigid with high turgor pressure while the cells on the inside become very loose with low turgor pressure. This causes the trap to quickly snap shut.

How Venus Flytraps Digest Bugs

Once the trap snaps shut on the unlucky prey, the bug starts to panic. It twists and turns and squirms around, all the while bumping up against the triggers that set off the trap in the first place. Once the triggers are bumped five times, the plant will begin converting itself to an actual stomach. It seals off the edges of the trap to make an air-proof pouch, and then begins secreting digestive enzymes to break down protein and chitin.

Setting Up Shop Again

Admittedly, bugs aren’t very smart. If only it knew to calm down and stop moving, its captor would think it was a false alarm and would open back up in a day (albeit, a very terrifying day) so long as it didn’t trip any more triggers. Instead, depending on the size of the bug, it takes between 5 to 12 days for it to be fully digested before the trap opens back up again with just the empty exoskeleton of the bug it caught. This will blow away or fall out of the trap quite easily, and the trap is set again for the next unsuspecting prey.

Individual traps have a finite life span. They can open and close about 10 times if triggered by false alarms, or they can digest about three to five meals before they stop responding to touch. At this point, the leaf becomes just a leaf, and the plant will use it only for photosynthesis.

Why does the Venus Flytrap eat bugs?

The reason the Venus Flytrap eats bugs is because it’s difficult for the plants to get enough nitrogen from the acidic, boggy soil where it lives. So the Venus Flytrap gets its nitrogen directly from the protein in bugs rather than from the ground and through the roots.

Unfortunately, the plant has a very small range, centered around Wilmington, North Carolina, and the wild population is shrinking. Due to human encroachment and poaching (yes – it’s a thing), the Venus Flytrap is now threatened in the wild.

Regardless of the status of the wild population, though, it’s unlikely that the plant will go extinct due to its fascinating biology and ease of home cultivation. They’re easy to find online and in many garden shops in the US, and for around $10-$15, you can have your very own bug-eater extraordinaire!

venus

Manta Ray

The Manta Ray is the largest of all rays. This giant elasmobranch lives exclusively as a filter-feeder. Primarily small planktonic crustaceans are sieved through five pairs of gills located on the underside of the animal. Two cephalic lobes help funnel water into its mouth. These two lobes are also responsible for the animal’s infamous nickname, “devil ray,” because they  resemble two diabolic horns.

The ventral side (underside) is usually bright-colored with individual spot patterns making it possible to tell individuals apart. The dorsal side (back/upper side) is normally dark-colored. This counter-coloration provides good camouflage for the animal. The bright belly blends with the bright surface when looked upon from underneath and the dark back blends well with the darkness of the deep water when seen from above.

Manta rays are found around the world in tropical waters.

Interesting Manta Facts

  • Mantas can grow over seven meters in width. The largest was 7.6 meters!
  • Other names for the Manta Ray include Atlantic manta, Pacific manta, devilfish, and just manta.
  • Only four manta rays exist in captivity today!
  • One of the first films to feature the Manta Ray misrepresented it as a fearsome creature.  The name of the film was The Sea Bat, a 1930s thriller directed by Lionel Barrymore and Wesley Ruggles.

Wild Turkey

What’s in a name?

Have you ever stopped to think how weird it is that a country (Turkey) has the same name as our Thanksgiving bird of choice? You might have thought it was a coincidence, but get this: In turkey, they call it greek chicken; In Greece, they call it Peru; In Peru, they call it French Chicken; and in France they call it Indian Chicken. The bird we now know as the turkey was indeed named for the country of Turkey! As it turns out, the first explorers brought the turkey back to Europe through Turkey. Because of that, the bird was colloquially called Turkish guineafowl. It was later just shortened to turkey.

Where does the Wild Turkey live?

The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the only wild turkey found in the United States. It ranges up and down the east coast, parts of the west coast, and throughout the plains. It is found as far south as southern Mexico. This isn’t to be confused with the only other species of turkey, the Oscellated Turkey. It lives in the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico.

Turkey-Range-Map

Behavior of the Turkey

Turkeys are social birds that have a high degree of sexual dimorphism. In other words, it is very easy to tell the difference between the large colorful male toms and the smaller female hens. Males spend a great deal of their time parading around the females in courtship dances. The peak of this activity is generally the spring, during mating season, but they can be found doing this almost all year long.

The Turkey as the National Bird

It’s true, Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be the national bird of the US. In a letter to a relative he explained that the Bald Eagle was a bird of poor moral character. It would wait around rivers and lakes until another bird, usually an Osprey, would catch a fish. Then it would swoop down and steal it.

The Domesticated Turkey

The turkey was originally domesticated by the Aztecs of central and southern Mexico. The Spanish brought the bird back to Europe in the 1500s. It was a bird that was eaten almost exclusively by royalty for a couple hundred years. The first settlers brought some domesticated turkeys with them to the settlement of Jamestown. So even though the turkey was native to the eastern United States, the turkey they brought over was a domesticated version of a southern Mexican subspecies. The turkey is the only domesticated North American bird.

Did the Pilgrims have turkey at the first Thanksgiving?

The turkey, while it was around, was probably not the bird of choice for the first Thanksgiving. Scholars think that it was probably goose or beef that the Pilgrims ate at that first harvest.

The Nature of Hunting Turkey in the US

Every spring, turkey hunters set up blinds around a clearing where the hens and toms are likely to come. During the hunting season, the birds are breeding. Thus, hunters will try to lure toms by imitating a hen or by imitating a competing male tom. Hunting for turkeys should never be done by stalking the call of male turkeys, though; there are many hunters in the woods during this time of year, and it’s likely that stalking a call could lead one hunter right into the path of another.

Fun Turkey Facts

  • Many domesticated turkeys have been bred to be white so that the carcass doesn’t show feather spots when plucked.
  • Turkeys have been introduced outside their native range for hunting purposes.
  • There are five sub-species of Wild Turkey
  • It is tradition in the US for the president to pardon a turkey each Thanksgiving, generally a large, white, domesticated bird.
  • Many of the domesticated turkeys grow too large to reproduce naturally. They have to be artificially inseminated.
  • Turkeys have been known to attack people with their large talons.
  • A man by the name of Joe Hutto spent a year trying to be a turkey. A few of the friends of Untamed Science crew made an award winning documentary about it called My Life as a Turkey.

My Life as a Turkey Documentary

A few of the friends of the Untamed Science crew made an award-winning documentary called My Life as a Turkey. We think you’ll like this feature-length film.