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![]() Alpheus bellulus ![]() Pistol shrimp have one normal claw, and one claw that is about half the size of their bodies. The claw stays open until a muscle causes it to snap closed, ejecting a powerful jet of water traveling at an incredible 60mph. The snapping sound itself reaches 218 decibels - your eardrum ruptures at a mere 150. A bubble forms in the low pressure area behind the stream of water, which is called a cavitation bubble. As the bubble implodes, it produces a flash of light and the interior temperature reaches over 5,000 degrees Kelvin - that's close to the surface temperature of the sun! The resulting shock wave easily stuns and kills small fish, crabs and other shrimp at close proximity, which the pistol shrimp drags into its burrow to feed on. Pistol shrimp also use the powerful snapping claw to communicate with other shrimp and to defend itself. There are over 600 species of snapping shrimp (family Alpheidae) located all over the world. For the most part they are located in tropical to temperate water along sea coasts and shallow oceans. They burrow in coral and oyster reefs, as well as in seagrass meadows. Some genera have a symbiotic relationship with goby fish. The goby's have much better eyesight than the shrimp and are able to alert it to danger by flicking the shrimp with it's tail. The pistol shrimp gets a watchman, and the goby gets a safe place to live and lay eggs. One thing is for sure. The next time someone calls me a shrimp, I'll take it as a compliment. Video:
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Last edited by evilmoers; 25th November 2010 at 20:29.
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#22 |
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![]() family Stomatopoda ![]() Mantis shrimps are aggressive relatives of crabs and lobsters and prey upon other animals by crippling them with devastating jabs. Their secret weapons are a pair of hinged arms folded away under their head, which they can unfurl at incredible speeds. The ‘spearer’ species have arms ending in a fiendish barbed spike that they use to impale soft-bodied prey like fish. But the larger ‘smasher’ species have arms ending in heavy clubs, and use them to deliver blows with the same force as a rifle bullet. Water is much denser than air and even the quickest martial artist would have considerable difficulty punching in it. And yet the mantis shrimp’s finishes its strike in under three thousandths of a second, out-punching even its land-living namesake. The need for speed If the animal simply flicked its arm out, like a human, it would never achieve such blistering speeds. Instead, mantis shrimps use an ingeniously simple energy storage system. Once the arm is cocked, a ratchet locks it firmly in place. The large muscles in the upper arm then contract and build up energy. When the latch is released, all this energy is released at once and the lower arm is launched forwards. But Patek found that even this system couldn’t account for the mantis shrimp’s speed. Instead, the key to the punch is a small, structure in the arm that looks like a saddle or a Pringle chip. When the arm is cocked, this structure is compressed and acts like a spring, storing up even more energy. When the latch is released, the spring expands and provides extra push for the club, helping to accelerate it at up to 10,000 times the force of gravity. This smasher’s arm is truly state-of-the-art natural technology. “Saddle-shaped springs are well-known to engineers and architects”, explains Patek, “ but is unusual in biological systems. Interestingly, a recent paper showed that a similarly shaped spring closes the Venus’s fly trap.” Patek’s cameras revealed an even bigger surprise – each of the smasher’s strikes produced small flashes of light upon impact. They are emitted because the club moves so quickly that it lowers the pressure of the water in front of it, causing it to boil. This releases small bubbles which collapse when the water pressure normalises, unleashing tremendous amounts of energy. This process, called cavitation, is so destructive that it can pit the stainless steel of boat propellers. Combined with the force of the strike itself, no animal in the seas stands a chance. Large smashers can even make meals of crabs, buckling their thick armour as easily as they do aquarium glass. And they are often seen beating up much larger fish and octopuses, which are unfortunate enough to wander past their burrows. Not just a good right hook Some scientists think that the mantis shrimps’ belligerent nature evolved because the rock crevices they inhabit are fiercely contested. This competition has also made these animals smarter than the average shrimp. They are the only invertebrates that can recognise other individuals of their species and can remember if the outcome of a fight against a rival for up to a month. And recently, Roy Caldwell, also from USC Berkeley, discovered that mantis shrimps have the most sophisticated eyes of any animal. While human eyes only have a measly three kinds of light receptors, mantis shrimps have at least ten, allowing them to see into the infrared and ultraviolet range. One can only guess if these animals have other record-breaking adaptations that are yet to be discovered. Video:
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![]() Description The white shark is also commonly known as the great white shark. It is a large, robust, torpedo-shaped shark with a moderately long, conical snout. The upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin are about even in size, and its large serrated triangular teeth are virtually symmetrical. It has a strong keel on the caudal peduncle, but no secondary keel. Despite its name the white shark is only white on its underside; the top of the shark varies from lead grey to brownish grey to black. ![]() The white shark has a worldwide range along the continental margins of all temperate seas and part of the tropics. It is rare in Atlantic Canadian waters, but sightings or captures are reported every 2-3 years.. Great whites have been caught in the Bay of Fundy, off of southwest Nova Scotia, eastern Nova Scotia, southern Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A 5-meter (17') white was caught off of PEI in 1983. Based on the growth bands in the vertebra, this shark appears to have been about 17 years old. Habitat The white shark inhabits coastal and offshore waters of the continental shelf. Periodically it will wander into bays and harbours. This shark also inhabits waters around oceanic islands. The great white shark occurs in surface waters and down to a depth of 1280 meters (4,240 feet). It can easily tolerate temperature differences from sub arctic conditions to inshore tropical areas and probably has one of the widest habitat ranges of any fish. Life History The white shark is a solitary predator that can grow up to 6.6 meters (21 feet) in length. Although this is the largest confirmed report of a white shark, indirect evidence suggests that there may be specimens off of southern Australia which are 8 meters (26 feet) in length. Average specimens measure 4.6 m (15 ft) and weigh in excess of 680 kg (1 500 lbs). Age and growth for this species is not well known but they are believed to be slow growing and attain large sizes with a relatively long life span. The white shark does carry out migrations but its movements in the North Atlantic are unknown. Tagging studies have shown that some whites were capable of traveling 190 km in 2.5 days. They tend to be found in Canadian waters during the months of August and September. Diet The white shark preys mainly upon a variety of fishes and marine mammals. Fish such as salmon, hake, halibut, mackerel and tunas are common prey, as are marine mammals such as harbor porpoises and harbor seals. However whites also eat other sharks, sea turtles and seabirds. They may also scavenge opportunistically upon blubber from dead whale carcasses. Examination of the stomach contents of one great white caught off Deer Island, New Brunswick revealed three porpoises. The metabolic rate is slow and it is believed that a 30 kg piece of blubber could sustain the animal for a period of 1.5 months. Reproduction This shark is ovoviviparous. Females give birth to 2 to 14 live pups and may only produce 4 to 6 litters in a lifetime. The gestation period is not known, but may be more than a year. Female white sharks reach sexual maturity at a length of 4-5 metres (12 to 14 years of age), while males mature at 3.7 - 4.1 metres (9-10 years old). Circumstantial evidence suggests that the New York Bight, between Cape May and Cape Cod, may be a mating area for white sharks. Offspring are thought to be greater than 100 cm long at birth, with the smallest free living white shark being 108 cm in length. Interaction with People The white shark is considered one of the most dangerous sharks because of its large size, the fact that it enters shallow waters, its feeding habits and aggressiveness, and the fact that it has attacked humans. It is rare in Canadian waters, but is reported every 2-3 years. Although there have been 4 accounts of white sharks attacking boats in Canadian waters in the past 120 years, none have occurred in the last 45 years. They are rarely encountered by commercial fishermen and rarely caught recreationally due to their scarcity, size and ability to bite through regular tackle. Due to their dangerously low numbers in world oceans, COSEWIC listed the white shark as an endangered species in Canada in 2006. DFO carried out a Recovery Potential Assessment on white sharks in 2006. Video:
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#24 |
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![]() Onthophagus taurus ![]() New World Record Entomologists have recently discovered incredible feats of strength that beat the Rhinoceros beetles' previous record. You're probably thinking the strongest creature on earth is only a bug that fits in the palm of your hand? What about the largest living land mammal? You'd think something as massive as an elephant would be able to carry way more weight than a little insect. Yes, it's true. An elephant can carry a lot more weight than a dung beetle, but the definition of strength we're using here is one of proportional strength. A huge African elephant can only carry up to 25% of its own weight on its back. In a laboratory experiment, Rob Knell from Queen Mary, University of London and Leigh Simmons from the University of Western Australia found that the strongest Onthophagus taurus could pull 1,141 times its own body weight. That's equivalent to a person lifting close to 180,000 pounds (the same as six full double-decker buses). What are Those Horns For? The horned dung beetle is aptly named because, well, it has horns on its head. Scientists believe that the beetle has become so strong to fight other male beetles in their quest for the right to mate. Females of the species will dig a tunnel into a pile of dung and males will enter the tunnel looking to mate. If a male encounters another male in the tunnel they will battle each other, each trying to remove the other. The scientists tested the beetle's ability to resist rivals by measuring how much weight was needed to pull a male beetle out of his hole. That's how they know that it would take 1,141 other beetles to pull a determined male dung beetle out of 'love tunnel'. Would that be something like, "A herd of wild horses couldn't drag me away..."
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#25 |
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![]() Crocodilus ![]() A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae) and the gharials (family Gavialidae), as well as the Crocodylomorpha which includes prehistoric crocodile relatives and ancestors. Member species of the family Crocodylidae are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly on vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals, sometimes on invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans, depending on species. They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago; crocodiles survived great extinction events. Etymology The word crocodile comes from the Ancient Greek κροκόδιλος (crocodilos), "lizard," used in the phrase ho crocodilos ho potamós, "the lizard of the (Nile) river." There are several variant Greek forms of the word attested, including the later form κροκόδειλος (crocodeilos) found cited in many English reference works. In the Koine Greek of Roman times, crocodilos and crocodeilos would have been pronounced identically, and either or both may be the source of the Latinized form crocodīlus used by the ancient Romans. Crocodilos/crocodeilos itself is described in reference sources as a corruption of crocè ("pebbly"), and drilos/dreilos supposedly meaning "worm" although attested only as "(man with circumcised) penis". It is unclear how well supported this analysis is. The meaning of crocè is explained as describing the skin texture of lizards (or crocodiles) in most sources, but is alternately claimed to refer to a supposed habit of (lizards or crocodiles) basking on pebbly ground. Description Crocodiles are similar to alligators and caiman; for their common biology and differences between them, see Crocodilia. They are among the more biologically complex reptiles despite their prehistoric look. Unlike other reptiles, they have a cerebral cortex; a four-chambered heart; and the functional equivalent of a diaphragm, by incorporating muscles used for aquatic locomotion into respiration (e.g. M. diaphragmaticus); Their external morphology on the other hand is a sign of their aquatic and predatory lifestyle. A crocodile’s physical traits allow it to be a successful predator. They have a streamlined body that enables them to swim swiftly. Crocodiles also tuck their feet to their sides while swimming, which makes them faster by decreasing water resistance. They have webbed feet which, although not used to propel the animal through the water, allow it to make fast turns and sudden moves in the water or initiate swimming. Webbed feet are an advantage in shallower water where the animals sometimes move around by walking. Crocodiles have a palatal flap, a rigid tissue at the back of the mouth that blocks the entry of water. The palate has a special path from the nostril to the glottis that bypasses the mouth. The nostrils are closed during submergence. Like other archosaurs, crocodilians are diapsid, although their post-temporal fenestrae are reduced. The walls of the braincase are bony but they lack supratemporal and postfrontal bones.[1] Their tongues are not free but held in place by a membrane which limits movement; as a result, crocodiles are unable to stick out their tongues. Crocodilian scales have pores that are believed to be sensory, analogous to the lateral line in fishes. They are particularly seen on their upper and lower jaws. Another possibility is that they are secretory, as they produce an oily substance that appears to flush mud off. Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. Since crocodiles feed by grabbing and holding onto their prey, they have evolved sharp teeth for tearing and holding onto flesh, and powerful muscles that close the jaws and hold them shut. These jaws can bite down with immense force, by far the strongest bite of any animal. The pressure of the crocodile's bite is more than 5,000 pounds per square inch (30,000 kPa),[8] compared to just 335 pounds per square inch (2,300 kPa) for a rottweiler, 400 pounds per square inch (2,800 kPa) for a large great white shark, 800 pounds per square inch (6,000 kPa) to 1,000 pounds per square inch (7,000 kPa) for a hyena, or 2,000 pounds per square inch (10,000 kPa) for a large alligator. The jaws are opened, however, by a very weak set of muscles. Crocodiles can thus be subdued for study or transport by taping their jaws or holding their jaws shut with large rubber bands cut from automobile inner tubes. They have limited lateral (side-to-side) movement in their neck. Biology and behaviour Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. As cold-blooded predators, they have a very slow metabolism, and thus can survive long periods without food. Despite their appearance of being slow, crocodiles are top predators in their environment, and various species have been observed attacking and killing sharks. A famous exception is the Egyptian Plover which is said to enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile. According to unauthenticated reports, the plover feeds on parasites that infest the crocodile's mouth and the crocodile will open its jaws and let the bird enter to clean parasites and bits out of the mouth. Many large crocodilians swallow stones (called gastroliths or stomach stones) which may act as ballast to balance their body or assist in crushing food, similar to grit in birds. Crocodilians can produce sounds during distress and in aggressive displays. They can also hear well and the tympanic membranes are concealed by flat flaps that may be raised or lowered by muscles. (Crocodiles eat fish, birds, mammals and occasionally smaller crocodiles.) Crocodiles are protected in many parts of the world, but they also are farmed commercially. Their hide is tanned and used to make leather goods such as shoes and handbags, whilst crocodile meat is also considered a delicacy. The most commonly farmed species are the Saltwater and Nile crocodiles, while a hybrid of the Saltwater and the rare Siamese Crocodile is also bred in Asian farms. Farming has resulted in an increase in the Saltwater crocodile population in Australia, as eggs are usually harvested from the wild, so landowners have an incentive to conserve crocodile habitat. Crocodile embryos do not have sex chromosomes, and unlike humans sex is not determined genetically. Sex is determined by temperature, with males produced at around 31.6 °C (89 °F), and females produced at slightly lower and higher temperatures. The average incubation period is around 80 days, and also is dependent upon temperature. The land speed record for a crocodile is 17 km/h (11 mph) measured in a galloping Australian freshwater crocodile. Maximum speed varies from species to species. Certain types of crocodiles can indeed gallop, including Cuban crocodiles, New Guinea crocodiles, African dwarf crocodiles, and even small Nile crocodiles. The fastest means by which most species can move is a kind of "belly run", where the body moves in a snake-like fashion, limbs splayed out to either side paddling away frantically while the tail whips to and fro. Crocodiles can reach speeds of 10 or 11 km/h (around 7 mph) when they "belly run", and often faster if they're slipping down muddy riverbanks. Another form of locomotion is the "high walk" where the body is raised clear off the ground. Crocodiles do not have sweat glands and release heat through their mouths. They often sleep with their mouths open and may even pant like a dog. It is reported that when the Nile crocodile has lurked a long time underwater to catch prey, and thus has built up a big oxygen debt, when it has caught and eaten that prey, it closes its right aortic arch and uses its left aortic arch to flush blood loaded with carbon dioxide from its muscles directly to its stomach; the resulting excess acidity in its blood supply makes it much easier for the stomach lining to secrete more stomach acid to quickly dissolve bulks of swallowed prey flesh and bone. Size Size greatly varies between species, from the dwarf crocodile to the saltwater crocodile. Species of Palaeosuchus and Osteolaemus grow to an adult size of just 1 metre (3.3 ft) to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). Larger species can reach over 4.85 metres (15.9 ft) long and weigh well over 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb). Crocodilians show pronounced sexual dimorphism with males growing much larger and more rapidly than females.[1] Despite their large adult size, crocodiles start their life at around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long. The largest species of crocodile is the saltwater crocodile, found in eastern India, northern Australia, throughout south-east Asia, and in the surrounding waters. Two larger certifiable records are both of 6.2 metres (20 ft) crocodiles. The first crocodile was shot in the Mary River in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1974 by poachers and measured by wildlife rangers.[citation needed] The second crocodile was killed in 1983 in the Fly River, Papua New Guinea. In the case of the second crocodile it was actually the skin that was measured by zoologist Jerome Montague, and as skins are known to underestimate the size of the actual animal, it is possible this crocodile was at least another 10 cm longer. The largest crocodile ever held in captivity is an Estuarine–Siamese hybrid named Yai (Thai: ใหญ่, meaning big) (born 10 June 1972) at the famous Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, Thailand. This animal measures 6 m (19.69 ft) (19 ft 8 in) in length and weighs 1114.27 kg. Wildlife experts, however, argue that the largest crocodile so far found in the Bhitarkanika was almost 23 feet (7.0 m) long, which could be traced from the skull preserved by the Kanika Royal Family. The crocodile was shot near Dhamara in 1926 and later its skull was preserved by the then Kanika King. Crocodile experts estimate the animal was between 20 feet (6.1 m) and 23 feet (7.0 m) long, as the size of the skull was measured one ninth of the total length of the body. Age There is no reliable way of measuring crocodile age, although several techniques are used to derive a reasonable guess. The most common method is to measure lamellar growth rings in bones and teeth—each ring corresponds to a change in growth rate which typically occurs once a year between dry and wet seasons. Bearing these inaccuracies in mind, the oldest crocodilians appear to be the largest species. C. porosus is estimated to live around 70 years on average, and there is limited evidence that some individuals may exceed 100 years. One of the oldest crocodiles recorded died in a zoo in Russia. A male freshwater crocodile at the Australia Zoo is estimated to be 130 years old. He was rescued from the wild by Bob Irwin and Steve Irwin after being shot twice by hunters. As a result of the shootings, this crocodile (known affectionately as "Mr. Freshy") has lost his right eye. Skin Crocodiles have smooth skin on their belly and side, while their dorsal surface is armoured with large osteoderms. The armoured skin has scales and is thick and rugged, providing some protection. They are still able to absorb heat through this thick, rugged armour as a network of small capillaries push blood through the scales to absorb heat.
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#26 |
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![]() Eunectes murinus ![]() If you look in the records there is a lot of controversy over which snake holds the world's record for massive size. The dimensions that have earned the anaconda the title of king is its total body mass or its weight (the sheer physical bulk of it). The largest anaconda ever measured was almost 28 feet long with a girth of 44 inches. She wasn't weighed at the time she was caught, but scientists estimate that she must have weighed over 500 lbs. The other snake that competes with the anaconda is the Asiatic Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus). The python holds the world's record for length of a snake, with the longest ever measured at 33 feet. Even though the longest python is longer than the record-holding anaconda, the girth of the anaconda is far bigger. Anacondas in the jungles of South America can grow as big around as a grown man! The Secret Life of an Anaconda Anacondas in the wild spend most of their time hanging out in rivers hunting for their food. They are solitary creatures that are somewhat shy and not many of them are easily seen. They are very well camouflaged in the swamps and bogs in which they thrive. There are some historical reports of early European explorers of the South American jungles seeing giant anacondas up to 100 feet photo of a huge anacondalong and some of the native peoples of the South American jungle have reported seeing anacondas up to 50 feet long. No one has caught and measured an anaconda anywhere near that size. It is important to note that when a dead anaconda's hide or skin is laid out it can be stretched very easily, expanding to much longer lengths than the snake exhibited when alive. Reports of outsize anacondas that cannot be verified are usually due to distortions in perception, or a snake skin being disproportionately stretched and inaccurately measured. People are generally really bad at estimating length, especially for larger snakes. In fact, the larger the snake, the larger the margin of error. Anacondas like to hang out in rivers so it would be difficult to estimate the length of one seen swimming without seeing the entire snake. It's the anaconda's ability to remain partly hidden in the water that makes it difficult to accurately find (and document) a specimen that exceeds the current world's record. (Would you want to jump in the water after a giant anaconda to try and measure a snake big enough to kill you?) The Biggest Snake to Have Ever Lived If you think that an anaconda big enough to swallow a capybara or tapir whole is big, you should see the size of the giant snake scientists discovered in a coal mine in Columbia, South America in 2008. Fossils of an enormous snake were discovered in an open coal mine in the Amazon rainforest. Paleontologists estimated the length of the snake to be 43 feet long and estimated to weigh 2,500 pounds! Based on their findings, the scientists who identified this new species of snake said it was large enough to prey on crocodiles. Since snakes are cold-blooded, the average temperature of the Amazon had to have been 6 to 8 degrees warmer to support a snake that enormous. Killer Snake Anacondas are members of the boa constrictor family of snakes. That means that they kill their prey by coiling their large, powerful bodies around their victims and squeezing until their prey suffocates or is crushed to death and dies from internal bleeding. Then the snake unhinges its jaw and swallows the victim whole. Anacondas are much more likely to eat aquatic creatures, such as fish. Occasionally, they have been known to eat: caimans (a relative of the alligator), other snakes, deer, and even jaguars. Anacondas are rather slow-moving snakes, so they have to rely on stealth and the element of surprise to catch their unsuspecting prey. Do Anacondas Bite? Just about every species of snake on earth has teeth, but the anacondas' teeth are not used for chewing. Snakes' teeth are used for holding onto their prey, preventing them from escaping. Some snakes have venom in two specially designed, extra long teeth (called fangs) which they use to kill their prey. Anacondas have teeth, but they are not a venomous snake. They rely on their enormous size and power to subdue their victims. It is possible to be bitten by an anaconda, but the bite itself would not be fatal. Video:
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![]() Rhincodon typus ![]() Whale Sharks: Harmless Heavyweights whale shark photoAs fearsome as this guy looks, he actually wouldn't harm a hair on your head. Whale sharks may have big mouths, but it isn't for swallowing people - they're plankton feeders. Plankton are microscopically tiny organisms that thrive in the oceans throughout the world. That's what the shark in the above picture is doing - feeding on plankton. You may not see them in the picture, but he knows they're there. The huge, gaping mouth is the whale shark's adaptation to feeding on plankton; the wider his mouth opens the more plankton he can scoop up with each "bite". All the water that he takes in to scoop up his meal is simply passed out of his body through his gills, which have sieve-like membranes covering them to filter out the little critters and prevent them from escaping. If you were accidentally scooped up by the whale shark you would find yourself being spit back out through an interesting process called gastric eversion. The whale shark actually turns its stomach inside out and spits it out through its mouth, ejecting the entire contents. Is it A Shark or a Whale? You may wonder why this fish is called a whale shark. Scientists have determined that it is a species of shark, because of its skeleton (composed entirely of cartilage), and its tough, leathery, scaleless skin. People called it a whale shark because of its enormous size (like a whale), not because it's a type of whale. A whale is a mammal; a warm-blooded creature that has lungs and breathes air, gives birth to its young and nurses them with milk produced by mammary glands. A shark is a fish; it "breathes" its oxygen by passing water over its gills. Whale sharks are rare, elusive creatures that scientists still know very little about. One interesting adaptation of the whale shark that scientists have discovered is that it has sensors that run the length of its body which are used for detecting pressure changes in the surrounding water. Whale sharks swim with their huge mouths wide open to chow down, making it hard for their proportionately small eyes to see where they're going. Being able to detect large objects with their pressure sensors gives the shark a "sixth sense" that acts like back-up vision. Video:
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![]() Canis lupus ![]() The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus), often known simply as the wolf, is the largest wild member of the Canidae family. Though once abundant over much of Eurasia and North America, the gray wolf inhabits a reduced portion of its former range due to widespread destruction of its territory, human encroachment, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Even so, the gray wolf is regarded as being of least concern for extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, when the entire gray wolf population is considered as a whole. Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others, or may be subject to extermination as perceived threats to livestock and pets. Gray wolves are social predators that live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair which monopolises food and breeding rights, followed by their biological offspring and, occasionally, adopted subordinates. They primarily feed on ungulates, which they hunt by wearing them down in short chases. Gray wolves are typically apex predators throughout their range, with only humans and tigers posing significant threats to them. DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies reaffirm that the gray wolf shares a common ancestry with the domestic dog. A number of other gray wolf subspecies have been identified, though the actual number of subspecies is still open to discussion. In areas where human cultures and wolves are sympatric, wolves frequently feature in the folklore and mythology of those cultures, both positively and negatively.
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![]() Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis ![]() In 2008, a team of researchers exploring the Japan trench with a remotely operated vehicle filmed footage of the deepest-known species of fish. The fish, known as snailfish, had never been seen alive before. Scientists had only five pickled specimens that had been dredged up from the deep and preserved for study. The biologists who discovered these live fish had expected to find fish living at these extreme depths (25,272 ft) to be very slow and sluggish to conserve energy in this extremely low-energy environment. Because the fish live in complete darkness, they use vibration receptors on their snouts to navigate the ocean depths and to locate food. Their eyes appear to be virtually nonexistent. Eyes in most organisms are designed for gathering light in the creature's visual field and transmitting it to the brain - giving it useful information about its environment. In a world where no sunlight ever penetrates there's probably little use for eyes. The researchers on this project have said they expect to find fish living even deeper than these! The Hadeep project, which began in 2007, is a collaboration between the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab and the University of Tokyo's Ocean Research Institute and aims to expand our knowledge of biology in the deepest depths of the ocean. The researchers have been looking at the Hadal zone - the area of ocean that sits between 6,000 and 11,000m (20,000-36,000ft). It consists of very narrow trench systems, most of which are found around the Pacific Rim. Video:
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Evil I Am
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![]() Goliathus regius Klug ![]() The first species of insect that could be called a beetle appeared on earth over 300 million years ago. And they've been here ever since, increasing their numbers, evolving into countless different varieties, and adapting to climates in almost every environment possible. Of all the billions of insects on earth those belonging to the beetle family are the most numerous of any other species. By sheer numbers alone, beetles have won the title of The Most Successful Form of Life. Beetles inhabit every corner of the globe in all kinds of weather. You could say that we're living on the planet of the beetles. The Goliath beetle belongs to the scarab family, which contains more than 30,000 species. Not insects - species of insects. That's just 30,000 different types of scarab beetles. There are hundreds of thousands of living beetles of each type, and there are many more types of scarab beetles that have yet to be discovered. The numbers just boggle the mind. Although there are other giant insects that are longer, or wider than the Goliath Beetle, this guy holds the record for biggest insect because of its mass (or weight). They can grow up to 4.5 inches (11.43 cm) long and weigh up to 3.5 ounces. Mother Nature's Janitors These giants of the insect world like to eat dead plant material and dung (animal feces, you know - poo). Ew! But that's O.K. We'd be living in a pretty smelly world if there was no one around to clean up and make use of all the fecal material every living thing on this earth produces every day. Think about it - that's an awful lot of poop. Thank goodness for scarab beetles like the goliath beetle who help to recycle "used material" and keep the earth a clean place to live (which is more than we can say for some humans!). They are making efficient use of natural resources. Have there Been Bigger Bugs? Some Paleontologists have discovered fossils of some cockroaches that were far bigger during the Jurassic period than they are today. Scientists aren't really sure why they were bigger back then (wasn't everything?), but it may have had to something to do with the warmer climate. Earth today has warm, tropical zones only around the equator, but during the Jurassic and Triassic periods temperatures around the globe were warmer. If it was the warm climate that contributed to the large size of the ancient species, we may be seeing larger species of beetles appearing as global warming continues. They may even be evolving as we speak. Why Are Beetles so Successful? It would appear from the success of beetles that Mother Nature loves them. Their incredible ability to adapt to any environment ensures that their presence will continue, probably long after humans have disappeared from earth. One of the most important features of the beetles that makes them distinctly beetles is their elytra - the hard exoskeletal covering over their wings. Elytra have many functions, the most important of which is protection for the beetle. Some species are able to trap moisture on their wings and hold it because of the protection from the heat and wind that the elytra offer. This has allowed some species to travel to deserts, where moisture is scarce, because they can carry their own water with them. Other species can live under water because they are able to trap air in their wings and keep it under the elytra. So, How Do They Know? How do scientists know that the goliath beetle is the largest of all the insects? By doing taxonomy studies in the field. You know, collecting, measuring, cataloging, and labeling them. There are lots of very large insects in the world, many are longer than the goliath beetle. The reason the goliath beetle wins the title of biggest is because of its weight. Of all the insects discovered so far, the goliath beetle is the world's record holder for size. There may be others out there, lurking in the jungle, that are even bigger than the goliath beetle. That's what's so cool about being an entomologist - going out into the world and discovering new species of insects never before seen by human eyes. You never know what you'll find around the corner...
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