The Amazing Spider That Lives Under Water (Water Spider)

Watch this video about this amazing phenomenon.

Water spiders live in the water. They don’t have gills but they do have a really neat way of breathing. The spider will spin the web on the water surface and collect air bubbles to fill it from underneath. The spider can then pop up under its web and breathe when it needs to. These spiders also mate and lay their eggs in the ‘air bubble web’.
These spiders can be found around, and often in, lakes, ponds and streams, floating on sticks and leaves.

Water spider are only found in Europe.


Source: http://www.naturegrid.org.uk

The Most Humane Way to Euthanize a Fish

Copyright @GoogleImages

There comes a time in every aquarist's life when a fish that can no longer recover from disease or injury must be euthanized. This is no easy task, but it can be done humanely and peacefully without stress to fish or aquarist. The best method is a two-step process. First, anesthetize the fish with clove oil so that it is sleeping and unable to feel pain; then introduce a clear grain alcohol like vodka to ensure the fish will not wake up.

This method is commonly misrepresented as mixing clove oil and vodka together. That is incorrect. Clove oil must be introduced first, allowing the fish to fall asleep before introducing vodka. Vodka will be stressful for a fish that is not anesthetized.

Clove oil, or eugenol, is available at most drug stores and is sold as a toothache remedy. It has been used for years as a fish anesthetic for surgeries and tagging procedures. Clove oil will put a fish to sleep and ensure it feels no pain. The fish can wake up from this sleep if removed from the clove bath, however. The last step of adding the vodka will ensure the fish expires.

For fish up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) in length, some simple steps can be followed. The fish's owner should add some tank water to a measuring cup or mixing bowl. The amount of tank water added to the cup or bowl should be measured and a note of it made. The fish should then be placed in the container. If the fish is in a clear cup, a dark towel placed around the cup may calm the fish.

The owner should next fill a small, clean jar or bottle with tank water, leaving some room at the top. A baby food jar or pill bottle can work well for this. He should then add 1 drop of clove oil in the jar or bottle, cap it, and shake the jar vigorously. The clove oil should emulsify, turning the water milky white.

About 1/4 of this emulsified mixture should then be poured into the fish's container. The fish will begin listing as it starts to fall asleep. The fish should be allowed to sit for about 10 minutes.

The fish should be resting on the bottom of the tank when it has fallen asleep. It will look dead, but if watched closely, its gills will be breathing once every few seconds. If after 10 minutes the fish is still rising off the bottom and swimming intermittently, the owner should retrieve the jar or bottle of emulsified clove oil, re-shake, and add the same dose to the fish's container. He should wait again for the fish to fall asleep.

Once the fish is asleep on the bottom, 20 to 25% white grain alcohol should be added. For example, if the fish is in 8 oz (240 ml) of water, 2 oz (60 ml) of vodka should be added. The fish should be allowed stay there for at least 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, the fish should be checked carefully for any gill movement. If there is no gill movement over a 60 second period, the fish has expired.

For large fish, the fish should be placed in a bucket or plastic tub with tank water; again, how much tank water is used should be measured. The dose for the mixture in the jar will be 10 drops of clove oil per gallon (3.78 liters). For example, if the fish is placed in 3 gallons (11 liters) of tank water, the jar should be filled with tank water and 10 x 3 = 30 drops of clove oil.

After shaking the jar vigorously, the fish's owner should slowly add the entire mixture to the bucket or tub that contains the fish. It should then be gently mixed in. Once the fish is asleep, the previous instructions for adding 20-25% vodka should be followed.

To eliminate vodka from the procedure and overdose with clove oil alone, the fish should first be put to sleep as stated above, with the owner waiting 10 minutes for the fish to settle on the bottom. A lethal overdose of clove oil is 50 drops per gallon (3.78 liters), or 5x stronger than the initial dose that anesthetizes the fish. Using the same example, if the fish is in 3 gallons (11 liters) of tank water, the jar's lethal mixture will include 50 x 3 = 150 drops of clove oil. It should be administered in the same way, by first shaking the jar before adding the mixture to the fish's container.

Once the entire mixture has been added to the fish's container, the owner should wait a few hours. Finally, he should make sure there is absolutely no gill movement by watching the gills closely for at least 60 straight seconds. If any gill movement is seen, more emulsified clove oil should be added.

Using clove oil alone is not recommended, because even though a fish looks dead it can recover once it has been removed from the bath. Clove oil is a preferred anesthetic precisely because it is hard to overdose a fish with it. Therefore, users should be especially diligent when using clove oil alone, making sure that the fish is really dead. It is much safer to use vodka as the final step.

Unacceptable methods of euthanasia include freezing, chopping, removing the fish from water, or flushing down the toilet. These methods are slow, torturous, stressful, or violent. Clove oil followed by vodka is both inexpensive and humane; the fish goes to sleep and simply doesn't wake up. Hopefully most people will rarely have to perform this task, but when someone does, it's at least comforting to know your fish does not have to suffer.



Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

The Oldest Living Animal Species

Copyright @GoogleImages

The Horseshoe Crab
The oldest living animal species on Earth cannot be known for sure, because not every animal species or fossil has yet been discovered, but the current best guess is the horseshoe crab, which has remained pretty much unchanged since the Ordovician period, 445 million years ago. To put this in perspective, multicellular animals only appear in the fossil record about 600 million years ago, and the typical duration of an animal species is just a few million years. For instance, Tyrannosaurus rex lived for only about three million years. In contrast, the horseshoe crab has existed for about 74% of the time that animals in general have, and was one of the few animals to survive the mass extinction of the Ordovician period.

Due to its status as one of the oldest living animals, the horseshoe crab, which is actually more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than crabs, has been dubbed a living fossil. Horseshoe crabs are thought to descend from eurypterids, also known as sea scorpions, which are even older, but extinct, living as far back as 510 million years ago. As far as we know, no animals from the Cambrian (542 - 488 million years ago) or Ediacaran (635 - 542 million years ago) periods are alive today, although there are numerous fossils showing they did exist in the past.

The horseshoe crab is notable for its simple but effective immune system. When invaded by a foreign organism, such as bacteria, the blood in the local area of the invasion immediately clots into a gel-like substance. This substance, called limulus amebocyte lysate, has been used in modern medicine to test for the presence of bacteria on a surface, exceeding the capabilities of purely artificial detectors. When bacteria is present, it immediately clots. This excellent immune system has surely contributed to the horseshoe crab becoming the oldest living animal.

Surviving Species of the Ordovician Period 
Along with the horseshoe crab, several other species have survived since the Ordovician period such as brachiopods, bryozoa, and crinoids. All of these organisms live in the water and all have evolved and adapted in order to survive the changes of earth's climates, making them some of the oldest species on earth. Perhaps these water-dwelling species are not as well-known as the horsehoe crab because of their small size and strange appearances; not only are the difficult to spot, but they are not as recognizable to the general population as a type of crab.

Other Ancient Animal Species 

The Coelacanth *Google Images

There have been groups of bacteria, such as cyanobacteria, that have been around for not only hundreds of millions of years, but actually several billion — far exceeding the age of the oldest living animal — but bacteria are not animals. The oldest living plant is thought to be gingko biloba, with fossils found dated around 270 million years ago. The long duration of this plant species is thought to be due to a combination of insect-resistant wood and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts. A fish, the coelacanth, is a runner-up for the oldest living animal, appearing in the fossil record about 410 million years ago.



Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others

Mosquito Biting Human *Google Images

 Scientific research has shown that if you are frequently bitten by mosquitoes, it is because of the smell you give off. Mosquitoes are attracted to particular odors that certain people have. If a person is rarely bitten, then his or her body gives off a smell that masks the scent that attracts mosquitoes.

The body's masking odors act like a natural repellent to mosquitoes. People who are bitten less frequently, or not at all, emit chemicals that repel mosquitoes. Mosquitoes recognize these smells as something they would not like to feast on and fly to someone else. Recent research has been undertaken to narrow down the smells that are attractive and repellent to mosquitoes. The research was at first described as similar to looking for a needle in a haystack, but scientists have since managed to track down and identify around 30 chemical compounds out of 300 that can protect people.

The mosquito bite repellents currently available on the market work on much the same principle. They mask the attractive body odor that mosquitoes like. Some mosquito bite repellents are plant-based in odor, causing the mosquito to sense that the wearer is a plant and look elsewhere for its food.

The importance of the tests to find a masking order goes beyond solving irritating little mosquito bites. A mosquito bite is not just annoying; it can present a real danger to humans. Mosquitoes carry dangerous diseases, such as malaria. Malaria is the cause of millions of deaths every year and a significant problem in many African countries.

After determining the masking odor that deters mosquitoes, the next step is to duplicate it. If this is possible, then further tests will make sure it is safe to be applied to human skin. If this is successful, then a whole new type of mosquito bite repellent will be available. These repellents should be safer and more natural than previous repellents, as they will be based on the skin's natural masking agents.

Another way to avoid a mosquito bite may be to stay close to friends who are never bitten. Until the new mosquito bite repellent is available, this might be the safest option.




Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

Food That Can Be Deadly to Cats and Dogs

Copyright @GoogleImages

As people have become more health conscious, so have they been paying more attention to the health needs of the furry members of the family. To this end many animal lovers have become aware that the majority of commercial pet foods contain unhealthy ingredients and have shifted instead to sharing the refrigerator and cupboards. While natural, fresh food is far healthier than byproducts and preservatives, keep in mind that the foods listed below are known to be toxic to cats and dogs because of the different ways animals metabolize them.

Chocolate
Although many people are aware that chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs, it's something that is commonly left on a table or counter top. Dogs may tear into a box of candy when the opportunity presents itself. In large quantities, chocolate causes coma and death. In lesser quantities, it will cause gastrointestinal problems including diarrhea. The degree of toxicity depends on the weight of the animal and the amount and type of chocolate consumed. Semi-sweet and bakers chocolate, for instance, contain more theobromine than regular chocolate, making them even more toxic to animals. Dogs love chocolate, so don't let taste be a test of what is healthy. Anything containing cocoa or chocolate should be avoided.

Grapes & Raisins
Though it isn't clear to scientists just what makes grapes and raisins toxic to both cats and dogs, even a relatively small amount can damage the kidneys. For this reason it's unwise to feed these to your pet, even if small amounts are tolerated. Also avoid giving bits of cookie or other foods that contain raisins.

Garlic, Onions, and Powders
Whether fresh, cooked or powdered, garlic and/or onions can be found among the ingredients of many prepared meals, including baby food. Garlic and onions can be toxic to cats and dogs because sulfoxides and disulfides found in them can damage red blood cells and lead to anemia. Onions are more problematic than garlic, but both should be avoided. If preparing a meal for yourself that will contain garlic or onions, consider preparing a side portion without these ingredients for your animals.

Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts are soft, light-colored nuts often used in cookie recipes. They are considered toxic to dogs because they tend to cause gastrointestinal upsets, lethargy, vomiting and muscle tremors or stiffness.

Mushrooms
Various species of mushrooms are toxic to dogs, and can cause shock and death. Effects will differ depending on the type ingested, but avoid feeding any type. Pluck "backyard mushrooms" that might sprout on the lawn, as these are known to be toxic to canines.

Tomatoes and tomato plants
Tomatoes of all kinds are toxic to cats, as are parts of the tomato plant. Ingesting as little as a cherry tomato can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.

Chicken Bones
Though not toxic, chicken bones can get stuck in the roof of the mouth, throat and intestines, and should be avoided, according to many veterinarians. Splinters of chicken bones can also become lodged internally.

Xylitol
This is a sugar substitute found in many types of candy, chewable vitamins, sugarless baked goods, and in sugarless gums like Trident™ and Orbit™. As little as three grams (e.g. about five pieces of gum) can kill a 65 pound dog, with smaller dogs succumbing to just one or two sticks. Within 15-30 minutes of ingesting xylitol a dog's insulin levels will surge and blood sugar levels will drop, resulting in lethargy and loss of balance. Permanent brain damage can occur and without treatment liver failure will result in death within 24 hours. Diabetics that might have sugarless baked goods or other sugarless products in the home should be especially careful to read all ingredients before sharing food. If a dog should ingest a product that contains xylitol call your veterinarian or animal emergency services immediately. You might be instructed to induce vomiting if the dog is already having a reaction or if the office is more than 30 minutes away. Do not leave products containing xylitol within a dog's reach.

Other foods to avoid include raw potatoes, especially those containing green spots; turkey skin; nutmeg; and anything with caffeine, including tea. Alcohol and hops should also be avoided as alcohol poisoning can lead to coma and death. Do not allow your pet to rummage through the trash, as moldy food contains toxins that can cause serious illness.

Since many of the signs of toxicity are similar, consult your veterinarian without delay if your pet appears distressed, listless or in pain. Bloody stools or vomiting are also possible signs of toxic poisoning. Gastrointestinal problems can lead to gas build-up until the stomach becomes distended or bloated and hard to the touch. This is a painful condition that can cause the stomach to burst if not treated. The good news is that, in most cases, treatment for toxic poisoning can be successful if administered in time.

Feeding cats and dogs a healthy, balanced diet of natural foods as described by many veterinarians today is a great improvement over processed commercial pet food. By following a few simple rules, you can ensure that pets or animal companions can potentially lead longer, healthier and happier lives. For more information, see books like, Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.



Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

The Difference Between a Crocodile and an Alligator

Crocodile vs. Alligator *Google Images

The first difference between a crocodile and an alligator is that they are from different families of crocodilians. Crocodiles are from the crocodylidae family, while alligators and caiman are from the alligatoridae family.

In terms of physical differences the easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that a crocodile has a very long, narrow, V-shaped snout, while the alligator's snout is wider and U-shaped. Because of the wide snout of the alligator it packs more crushing power to eat prey like turtles that constitute part of its diet. The narrow crocodile snout, although still very powerful, is not really suited for prey like turtles but is very versatile for fish and mammals.

Another physical difference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile's upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed. They also have an enormous 4th tooth on the lower jaw that is accommodated by depressions in the upper jaw just behind the nostrils.

An alligator, on the other hand, has a wider upper jaw, so when its mouth is closed the teeth in the lower jaw fit into sockets of the upper jaw, hidden from view. Only the teeth of the upper jaw are exposed along the lower jaw line. Even the enormous 4th tooth on the bottom jaw, which is exposed in a crocodile, is hidden in the alligator.

Another physical difference is that crocodiles have a lighter olive brown coloration, while alligators appear blackish. Alligators also prefer freshwater while crocodiles like brackish water and sometimes even ocean.

Speaking to this difference, while crocodiles and alligators both have glands on their tongues, crocodiles still use these glands to excrete excess salt. Alligators seem to have lost this ability, making their tolerance for salt water comparatively brief. Biologists believe this suggests that the crocodile is less removed from its oceanic ancestry.

Both crocodiles and alligators have dotted sensory pits along the upper and lower jaws that look almost like beard stubble. They detect slight changes in water pressure, thought to help the animals locate prey. These sensory pits were called Integumentary Sense Organs (ISOs) until they were renamed to Dermal Pressure Receptors (DPRs). While both animals have them along the jaws, the crocodile has one on every scale covering its entire body. Some researchers believe the crocodile's DPRs might be linked to detecting levels of salinity.

It is generally stated that alligators are docile compared to aggressive saltwater crocodiles, and that crocodiles grow larger. While true in general, there are exceptions to every rule among the many species. As an example, the average alligator grows to about 14 feet (4.3 meters), while crocodiles can reach 19 feet (5.8 meters) or more. That said there is one species of crocodile - the African dwarf - that barely reaches 5 feet (1.5 meters). Also, the Indian mugger crocodile has a decidedly U-shaped snout, breaking the V-shaped rule.

In terms of nesting, crocodiles lay their eggs in mud or sand nests near brackish water, while alligators make their nests out of mounds of vegetation surrounding freshwater.

In the United States crocodiles are only found around the southern tip of Florida, though they can also be found in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Alligators are found in the southeastern United States, and South Florida is the only known place in the world where crocodiles and alligators cohabitate the same areas.

Crocodilians, which includes both crocodiles and alligators, are believed descended from archosauria which lived 250 million years ago at the end of the Paleozoic era when all the continents were joined together in a single mass known as Pangea. About 30 million years later in the Triassic period (220 million years ago) archosauria split into two lines of evolution, one being crocodilians and the other dinosaurs and birds. Scientists theorize that the Age of Reptiles, which lasted some 155 million years, ended about 65 million years ago when an asteroid struck Earth wiping out the dinosaurs. But while dinosaurs vanished crocodilians survived!

After surviving nearly unchanged for over 200 million years crocodiles and alligators were hunted to the brink of extinction between 1900 and 1967in a period as brief as a single man's life. Additionally their habitats continue to shrink. Today due to conservation efforts the American alligator is no longer on the endangered species list but many species of crocodiles remain at risk. Continued diligence is necessary if we are to preserve these incredible animals that open a door to the planet's early history and a window into an age of fantastic creatures that ruled the earth for tens of millions of years.



Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

Why Dogs Howl at Sirens?

Dog howling at siren *Google Images

There are a couple of explanations for why dogs howl at sirens, though not all dogs exhibit this behavior. Some think that a dog’s sensitive hearing is the direct cause and that they’re actually howling because they’re in pain. According to most experts, this is not the case and organizations like the American Kennel Club point to several other reasons why dogs howl at sirens instead.

Howling is not exclusive to dogs; it’s hard to forget the lonely cry of the wolf. Wolves and other pack animals do use howling, and although it sounds sad and lonely, it often serves another purpose. Because wolves and dogs both have very keen hearing, a howl can be heard from far away, and wolves use this as a form of communication and location. A howl can send up a signal that says “I’m here!” and the respondent howl of other wolves is a reply of “We’ve over here!”

When dogs howl at sirens, they may very well be expressing this instinctual behavior too. Some sirens sound like the faraway howl of a dog (at least to other dogs), and the dog may merely be being helpful by sending up a response. One howl often leads to another, which is why you may hear a whole neighborhood of dogs howling in response.

If you’ve ever seen the Disney classic cartoon 101 Dalmatians, the twilight bark that occurs between dogs over long distances is a good example of this pack behavior at work. When one dog starts to bark, others follow, which can lead to barking or howling dogs for miles and miles. It’s a communication device and seems a natural response for dogs to bark or howl to each other, and it seems to be largely instinctual.

What is interesting is that not all dogs howl at sirens, or only howl very occasionally when they hear one. For instance, noon sirens, which some towns or areas of towns may play, sound a lot like the howl of a dog. You may notice some dogs howl at sirens that sound most like other dogs, and ignore short staccato sirens that really don’t sound like howling. Other dogs seem to howl at all sirens and some pooches ignore them completely.

Dogs can be trained not to howl, mostly. Yet this wiseGEEK writer knew two collies that would run the length of an acre so they could politely howl at the noon siren each day without annoying their owner. If you happened upon them when they were howling, they did look very ashamed and would stop immediately. Some breeds appear to howl more than others, and sometimes it’s highly individualized.

You may find some dogs howl at sirens, other dogs, and a majority of the time. This may be a communication that says the dog is lonely. Since dogs are used to living in packs, the humans who own them are their pack. When a dog is not spending enough time with its human pack, it may bark or howl more frequently just to find other dogs. These howls aren’t inspired by noises like sirens, but may be a deliberate attempt to find other dogs so the dog doesn’t feel so alone.



Source: http://www.wisegeek.com

Meet Yoda

Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat *Google Images

Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat looks like Yoda in Star Wars.

First described in 1984, the peculiar features of this species make it one of the strangest and intriguing of all known bats . One of the most bizarre and distinctive features is its separate tubular nostrils, which are about 6 mm long and project outwards above the mouth, and give this bat its common name . This species is also one of the few striped bats in the world, bearing one broad dark stripe down the centre of its back. There are also unusual yellow spots on the ears and wings . The fur is soft and a pale golden brown to buff colour in females, and a darker, more chocolaty brown in males

The Philippine tube-nosed bat breeds seasonally, with females giving birth to one young each year between April and May. Young females first become pregnant at around seven to eight months old, producing their first young four and a half to five months later, at about one year of age. By contrast, males are thought to reach sexual maturity a little later than females, at approximately one year of age. Lactation lasts three to four months, but little else is known about parental behaviour in raising the young.

This forest bat is known to feed on wild figs, and thought to rarely forage far from its roost. Like many fruit bats, this species is also suspected to feed on a variety of other local fruits and possibly insects as well.
 


Source: http://www.arkive.org

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