Idiosyncrasies of Nature

The animal world is amazing. From giant animals to tiny ones, many wonders can boggle your mind.

For example, do you know where the elephant got its trunk, or that some male animals get pregnant and give birth?

Do you know what koalas and humans have in common?

Did you know the biggest spider in the world has a leg span of nearly 30 centimetres? There is also a parasite that can change a snail’s look, making it more appealing.

No?  Well, how about an animal that changes colour quicker than we can blink

When fathers become mothers

Nature is a beautiful thing. If you think you’re helping gender equality by caring for kids, consider male seahorses. They may not play chasey or help with homework; they do something far more remarkable.  They get pregnant and give birth to young.

These small sea creatures range from under an inch to a foot long (1 to 30 centimeters). They look so strange that it’s hard to think of them as fish. 

Male seahorses have a pouch on their abdomen that can carry as many as 2,000 babies.  After a pre-dawn courtship dance, the female deposits her eggs in the male's pouch.

The eggs hatch in the pouch, marking the final stage of a primitive form of pregnancy. The father looks after the young as they develop. He controls the water salinity in his pouch, getting them ready for life in the sea.

When the tiny seahorses are ready to be born, the male has muscular contractions. These contractions help him expel the young.  Once that happens, that's it.  Neither the father nor the mother provides any further care or protection.  They are on their own!

What do you have in common with koalas?

Apart from the fact that you might be cute and cuddly, koalas have fingerprints like yours.

Koalas and humans evolved separately, yet their fingerprints share similar loops and whorls. This is truly astounding! At first glance, the fingerprints seem similar. But under an electron microscope, the fingerprints look almost identical.

Humans, chimps, and gorillas have fingerprints. Koalas have them too. But this adorable marsupial is separated from us by 70 million years’ worth of evolution. Humans have ridges all over their palms. Koalas, however, have ridges on part of their palms.

You might be thinking that for your next murder you can use a koala. Nice idea, but you might want to think twice.  Koalas have a mean set of claws!

Zombie snails that get taken over by parasites

A group of parasitic flatworms has a bizarre life cycle. Their presence can make infected snails easier targets for birds. This helps the parasite reach the next stage of its life cycle.

The parasite enters the snail’s eyestalks. This causes them to swell into bright, pulsing structures. They can pulse around 60–80 times per minute, showing colourful patterns. Their movement can make them resemble small caterpillars, potentially attracting insect-eating birds.

A bird spots the brightly coloured, pulsating eyestalk and eats it. This helps the parasite find its final host. There, it can grow into its adult stage.  The adult parasite eventually produces eggs, which leave the bird through its droppings. Another unlucky snail might eat these eggs, starting the odd cycle all over again.

What’s even more surprising is that the snail can survive the attack.

The Biggest Spider in the World Is a Foot in Diameter

For the record, I hate spiders.  Spiders are sneaky and move around silently. One minute they are there, and the next they're gone!

There is one spider, though, that I think I might see coming. It’s the Goliath tarantula. It is found in the Amazon rainforest of South America. This sucker can have a leg span of 28 cm (11 in). The Goliath tarantula is considered the world’s largest spider by mass. It can weigh up to 170 grams (6 ounces), about the same as a pool ball.

Another large arachnid is the camel spider. It can reach a leg span of 300 mm (12 in.). They may appear to chase people, but they are seeking shade, often in a person’s shadow.

It can also shoot harpoon-like hairs that kill smaller creatures, such as mice. Some people keep these spiders as pets. (Are you crazy or what?)

How quickly can you change your spots?

Cuttlefish can change colour in milliseconds, as fast as a human can blink. They excel at camouflage. They can change colours and patterns in just 200 milliseconds.

The cuttlefish can do this mainly because of chromatophores. These are special cells in their bodies that produce colour. Big males show a bold zebra-stripe pattern on one side to scare off rivals. On the other side, they display a pretty mottled pattern to attract females. This is quite a remarkable feat.

Did elephants tell lots of lies?

An elephant's trunk has tens of thousands of muscles. That's more than the entire human body has! It’s clearly the biggest nose in the world.

An elephant’s trunk is an amazing tool for strength and precision. It can lift logs over 300 kg. It can also pick a peanut from its shell, blow the shell away, and move the nut to its mouth.

There are several theories. Some say it started so elephants could collect food while still chewing.  Another suggests it evolved to keep their mouths away from their food.

The most plausible theory is that it may have started out as a snorkel in a semi-aquatic ancestor. Elephants are closely related to manatees and dugongs. Manatees and dugongs live in water. So, it makes sense.

There are so many fascinating questions about nature and animals I could go on for ages.  I hope you enjoyed these half-dozen questions.

Till next time,

Calvin