Zooillogix
Archives for February, 2009
This Shrew Holds His Long Nose Up When He Eats
Posted by ableiman on February 27, 2009 Magnet Sticks to…Crocodile?
Posted by Benny Bleiman on February 26, 2009 Recent conservation efforts in the Florida Everglades to save the American crocodile from the brink of extinction have been effective: good thing. Territorial crocodiles hanging out in Floridian’s back yards, however: bad thing. The worst part? Once a crocodile is removed from its favorite haunt, it will travel tens, sometimes hundreds of miles to return,…
Size (and Number of Tortuous Spikes) Do Matter for Seed Beetles
Posted by Benny Bleiman on February 25, 2009 A new study of C. maculatus seed beetles has proven the worst case scenario for most men: size and in this case the number of painful, injuring spikes on their penises do in fact matter. The C. maculatus have a series of spikes and barbs on their members that, during sex, become embedded in their…
The Barreleye See Through Head Mystery
Posted by ableiman on February 24, 2009 The barreleye has been known to science since 1939 but scientists have never understood why the fish had a see-through head. Well now researchers at MBARI have solved the mystery: the barreleyes’ see-through heads allow them to read each others’ thoughts! OK not true. Actually, their see through heads allow their long tubular eyes to…
The Greatest Gift of All
Posted by ableiman on February 22, 2009 As many of you know, I collect zoo and aquarium shot glasses. I have the world’s largest and probably only collection and it is my pride and joy. When I die, my children will most likely be left poor in “money” but rich in shot glasses. A legacy we can all be proud of. I…
Rare Pink Katydids
Posted by ableiman on February 17, 2009 The Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans just bred these rare pink katydids and I find them captivating/delicious. Pink Katydid Facts: • The parental katydids, both pink, were brought to Audubon Insectarium during the summer of 2008 as donations by visitors. • The pink katydids were sent off to Cokie Bauder, Manager of Animal Collections at…
Unsolved Mystery: Identical Sea Critters Found in Both Poles
Posted by Benny Bleiman on February 16, 2009 The Census of Marine Life has just released a study of the ocean creatures living in the Arctic and the Antarctic with a startling revelation: 235 identical species thrive in the waters around the North and South Poles, despite the distance 11,000 kilometers between them. The nemertean pelogonemertes rollestoni and its oddly shaped see-through stomach…
Hot Puppet Action
Posted by ableiman on February 13, 2009 Concerned that their male red bird of paradise, Paprika, might turn off female companions by repeating human words he learned from visitors, animal keeper Patti Cooper took matters into her own hands. First she crafted a sexy female red bird of paradise puppet, dubbed “Spice Girl.” Then she convinced Paprika to call Spice Girl on…
Incredible New Study Released
Posted by Benny Bleiman on February 9, 2009 The Delicate Sea Angel
Posted by ableiman on February 9, 2009 A small floating sea slug, clionidae or “sea angels” are ferocious little predators that hunt the “sea butterfly,” Limacina helicina. When tasty sea butterflies get close, sea angels shoot out tentacles, grasp the prey with hooks and extract the body completely out of the shell to swallow it whole. Incidentally, this is also how my…