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Cool Animal of the Day Thread

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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
I'd say about 80% of my everyday life is spent learning about cool things related to wildlife and plants and every time I see/hear about something really cool all I want to do is tell somebody, so I'm going to share with you a rad animal or plant of the day (or as close to daily as possibly given my schedule)!

If no one cares, I'll probably just stop doing it but it's worth a shot!

Last night I was watching a documentary about water birds and I have to say that the shoe billed stork is by far the most dinosaur-like bird I've seen as of yet. It's beak looks like it could destroy you.

The shoe-billed stork, or Balaeniceps rex "B-rex", is native to the tropics of Eastern Africa and feeds on large fish, rodents, young crocodiles, waterfowl, snakes, etc. It's populations are currently in decline due to habitat destruction and the still legal bird trade in many African countries.

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Feb 11 2011 4:37PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
BBC online had an article about this little guys today- diving bell spiders are found in the pools of northern and central Europe and northern Asia and is the only spider able to spend its entire life underwater. They do this by spinning a "bell" of air using silk and catching oxygen with her leg hairs. The silk bell allows oxygen to diffuse in and CO2 to diffuse out just as gills do so that the spider only has to make one trip out of the water per day.

Here's the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13614742

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Jun 12 2011 6:39PM
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eldridge
Posts: 2272 - Karma: 47
those things are fucking badass! and i hate spiders!
Jun 12 2011 7:55PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
**Sidenote: this is yet another example of how the natural world provides HUGE opportunities to solve many of our medical problems and a huge reason why conserving biodiversity is so so so so so important. Why care that one little insect or frog species goes extinct? ....well, because it might help us cure cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Read another BBC article on these little guys- BBC is effing awesome by the way for environmental and nature news. Scientists at Queens University discovered that a protein in the waxy monkey frog's skin secretions is able to inhibit the growth of blood vessels with implications of cancer tumor growth suppression! This is because most tumors can only grow to a certain size on their own before they rely on blood vessels for supplemental nutrients and oxygen.


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They also discovered that the giant fire-bellied toad contained a protein that promotes blood vessel growth which holds great implications of patient recovery after operations or during injuries! It also has the potential to aid in many treatments requiring any blood vessels to repair quickly, such as in organ transplants, wound healing, and damage caused by heart attacks or strokes.

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**All this info came from this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13676752


Jun 13 2011 10:54AM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
The thresher shark is a very strong-swimming shark widely recognized by its large eyes and unusual tail which can be as long as the shark's body. It uses this long tail to herd schools of fish together and then repeatedly whips and stuns them with it. Sometimes multiple sharks will work together to herd large schools. The thresher has uniquely adapted muscles along its flanks that allow it to swim for long distances w/o fatigue and to leap out of the water.

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Jun 16 2011 6:49PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
These psychedelic mushrooms (Mycena luxaeterna) were just discovered within the past year or so and are one of 7 newly identified glow-in-the-dark species! They grow on the floor of the Brazilian rainforest and never stop glowing. Scientists found them during an expedition in a section of forest so dense and dark, they couldn't see their hands in front of them, but noticed little twinkling star-like plants on the ground.

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Jun 17 2011 3:41PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
The alligator snapping turtle is basically a living dinosaur and one of the largest turtles in the world. Endemic to the southeastern US, they rarely leave the water but will to lay eggs in a dug out hole. The temperature of incubation determines the sex of the offspring- hot and cold temperatures produce females while moderate temperatures produce males. The snapping turtle hunts by sitting still and and keeping its jaws wide open to reveal a pink worm-like projection inside of its mouth!

Can you say BOWSER?!?!?

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<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ms-ksti4Bm8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ms-ksti4Bm8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
Jun 18 2011 10:43PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Oops
Jun 18 2011 10:50PM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 428
love it.
Jun 18 2011 11:49PM
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BuSkiz
Posts: 2240 - Karma: 65
gah bump
Jun 20 2011 1:53PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
Snappers are scary as shit and the reason I dislike swimming in lakes and rivers here in PA. I've had large ones swim right up to the side of my kayak before, they get pretty fearless when they are large.

We also caught one on a sunfish last time we were night fishing, he was probably over a foot across his shell.
Jun 20 2011 3:02PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18212 - Karma: 12,257

I have those fuckers in my backyard.

i really dont like swimming back there lol

Jun 20 2011 3:12PM
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hoodratz47
Posts: 11992 - Karma: 9,212
me want
Jun 20 2011 3:16PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Sorry I've been failing at this thread but it's hard to stay on the computer in the summeerrrtimmee!


The greater honeyguide lives in Kenya and is named so because they intentionally "guide" humans to bee colonies. They feed on beeswax and waxworms, but are unable to break beehives open by themselves, so they offer their guidance to the hives to humans or honey badgers and let them take the honey in return for the broken pieces of wax being left behind.

When the breeding season rolls around, these brood parasites lay one egg in the nest of another bird fooling the other parents to take care of their young. The honeyguide nestling will forcibly eject the other chicks from the nest or will poke holes in their shells causing death.

Watch this David Attenborough clip on them:


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Jun 29 2011 9:03PM
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[wahoo]
Posts: 71 - Karma: 28
this thread is great, keep it up.
Jun 29 2011 9:31PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
I stumbled across a cool website highlighting some of the creepier plants/fungus/pathogens/etc in the world and here are a few of my favorites:

Bleeding Tooth Fungus:
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Doll's Eyes (these are all over the Northeast woods):
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Buddha's Hand (citrus fruit in Asia):
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Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus (infects cedar-apple trees):
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Chinese Fleeceflower (not sure if I believe this one but I can't find anything proving it untrue):
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Jun 30 2011 12:15PM
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uosdwiSrjewoH
Posts: 4220 - Karma: 121
cracked no?
Jul 2 2011 9:18PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Yes, sir! Compliments of Stumpleupon : )
Jul 2 2011 10:56PM
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Rachy
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Jul 2 2011 11:08PM
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uosdwiSrjewoH
Posts: 4220 - Karma: 121
i wish i had the drive to maintain a thread this thread.

let's talk about killer whales for a bit more.

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the animal kingdom goes like this:

humans























killer whales





whatever else.


killer whales, or orca's if you're a wuss, are 20-26 feet long, and undisputed apex predators of 2/3rds of the entire planet, with great white sharks and juvenile blue whales being considered prey. they display intense levels of intelligence, and the different ways various groups pass along information and communicate has been described as a form of culture.

each killer whale is approximately 55x the size of the average human. nothing in the entire ocean (again, 2/3rds the entire planet) can remotely compete with it on a physical level. yet they're also capable of problem solving, complex play and passing on learned behaviors. they have no chance of competing with humans massively superior intelligence, but outside us, the killer whale is in a field of it's own, so:

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Jul 3 2011 2:12AM
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Panda_with_Guns
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 1,620
i own 2 of these guys. except mine look like this Click for larger image and the larger one actually rapes the smaller one. no joke. but its funny because the females are supposed to be the large ones.... and they also come in brown as shown above. there cheep, and great easy pets. the food each consumes in 2 weeks is actually equal to there retail price.
Jul 3 2011 2:47AM
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john.stossel
Posts: 943 - Karma: 5
i am a sex animal
Jul 3 2011 4:00AM
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john.stossel
Posts: 943 - Karma: 5
oh also the original bird you posted was on bbc life of birds collection, its such a great series like 9 hours of david attenborough...so much fun to watch stoned
Jul 5 2011 1:35AM
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POWDER.RANGER
Posts: 1698 - Karma: -24
almost caught one of these tuna fishing last year, it sliced a fish clean in half with its tail!! really cool to see.
Jul 5 2011 1:41AM
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Skiing.Nz
Posts: 279 - Karma: 49
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The Goblin Shark

So weird..
Jul 5 2011 6:32AM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
That's where I get most of my birds in here from : ) Love that series and I believe it's on netflix.

Sorry for the lack of posting, though, I don't really have internet until Friday.
Jul 6 2011 12:50PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
The American Woodcock is probably only effing sweet to me since I've heard/seen their rituals in New England, but nonetheless here it is...

These birds live in the forests of the eastern US and are oddly enough hunted for sport. They have several distinct and unusual behaviors; the first, including the head/body bob which you can see in the ridiculous video I've posted below which apparently disturbs earthworms below the soil making them more easily detectable. The second is the males mating ritual where in an open patch the male will "meep" several times on the ground then fly spiraling upwards making a whistling noise with his wings then unexpectedly and very sloppily just falling to the ground in a mess of spins, turns, and the illusion of hopelessness- he's got it under control though : ) .

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Sorry this video is ridiculous but I ruvvv itttt

Jul 11 2011 10:53PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Not sure if I've already posted this guy but on the subject of mating rituals.... here's a cool one...

The Greater sage-grouse


Jul 11 2011 10:56PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Someone posted a picture of a purple frog a while back, but I'd like to expand on it a bit more.

The purple frog is endemic to the Western Ghats of India where it's only been found in two very small areas. It's the only extant member of a group of amphibians which evolved 130 million years ago. It's pig-like nose allow it to burrow under the ground looking for termites and it's fluted tongue allows it to suck up its prey. It spends all but 2 weeks of its life underground when it comes up for mating. It has a really weird chicken-like sound if you want to youtube it!

These frogs are thought to be extremely rare although it may be to their elusive, underground nature. However, their habitat is being destroyed for logging and agriculture as with most animals.

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Jul 12 2011 10:44AM
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PagesHouse
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Jul 12 2011 10:46AM
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iggs
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Jul 12 2011 11:08AM
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iggs
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Jul 12 2011 11:12AM
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.Capn.
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Jul 12 2011 11:48AM
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.Capn.
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Couldn't find a good video but when these things fly it's the cooliest
Jul 12 2011 11:53AM
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snowbombz
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Jul 12 2011 1:17PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Oh hello there Newschoolers! It's been a long, long time since this thread has been updated.... it's hard to sit on Newschoolers during the summertime but I'll try to start posting in here again every so often.

: )

The Tiger's tree frog was just discovered in Colombia in 2007 and only two individuals have ever been recorded. It's eyes are incredible-looking and it's pretty crazy to think there are still somewhat large species of animals in our world that we have yet to discover!

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Sep 12 2011 12:44PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
Didn't go back through the entire thread so excuse me if it's been posted already.

I present to you NS possibly the greatest combination of cool animals I've ever seen.

Sloths, pretty badass and strange.

Bears, very badass indeed.

God put em in a shaker and mixed it up to grant the people of India one of the most awesome animals on the planet.

I give you the sloth bear.

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Able to devour an entire termite community in a single sitting. Also pretty skilled at riding bikes.

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Sep 23 2011 11:45AM
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rudager
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I want that bear
Sep 23 2011 11:50AM
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Yung_Gnarley
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Great thread. Following/contributing.
Sep 23 2011 11:53AM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
The merlin, or "pigeon hawk", is a small species of raptor with a huge attitude. They fly very fast and will harass even very large adult species of raptors. It is rarely afraid and will attack anything that moves often stealing the flushed out prey of other animals. They're so in tune to catching moving objects, that they've even been observed trying to "catch" moving automobiles and trains and have been known to steal songbirds trapped in mist nets by ornithologists.

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Sep 23 2011 4:44PM
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.Tom.
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Oh it's just a harmless beetle what's the worst that could OH GOD NO.

Sep 24 2011 12:19PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
I know I mentioned the parrotfish in a previous entry and briefly stated that they surrounded themselves with a "mucous sleeping bag" while sleeping to prevent predators from smelling them and parasites from attaching to them, but I found a picture.... SO COOL

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Sep 30 2011 4:23PM
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artfullydodged
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b u m p
Jun 11 2014 3:20PM
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