Daily Dose Of Interesting Information

[Visalakshi Ramani]

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# 9. The (unsigned) Peace Treaty.

Some birds cleverly make use of the stinging
insects to protect their nests and eggs.

African weaver birds build their nests above the home of the fierce paper-nest wasps.

The wood peckers of India and south east Asia, tunnel into the foot ball sized nests of the stinging tree ants and lay their eggs there.

The woodpeckers are ant gobblers. The ants will fight anyone coming near their nests.

But they seem to sign a peace treaty during the breeding season. The ants protect the nests and the eggs.

In return, the woodpeckers spare the ants and do not eat them!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 10. Mutual help!

The honey badger of tropical Africa, has a thieving partner in its hunt for honey.

The bird called the "honey guide", gives out a special call when it locates a honey bee nest.

This attracts the attention of any honey badger nearby. The bird even leads the badger to the honey comb.

The badger has a tough skin - impervious to the bee stings. Using its sharp claws, it breaks open the honey comb and drinks its fill of the fresh honey.

The bird is also busy eating its favorite food - the insects and larvae - from the debris of the honey comb.

Left to themselves, the badger cannot locate the honey comb and the bird cannot burst open the bees' nest.

So they form very impressive thieving partners.

 

[Haridasa Siva]

Thank you for the wonderful info in post 602. Very interesting indeed. I shared it with my family and they were also amazed. Thank you.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

dear Mr. Siva,
Thank you for the feedback.
Yes, animals seem to be much more understanding, cooperating and helping one another!
:welcome: to this interesting thread with your wonderful family!
with best wishes and regards,
Mrs. V. R.(mami)

It is time to rub shoulders with with our four / six /eight legged cousins and study their behaviors.

A peep in to the Animal Kingdom starts today.

These posts WILL NOT be blogged. So I request all the regular readers to remember to read these directly from this thread.

So we will be seeing how and when the animals prove to be even more cooperating and helping natured than man - with his six-senses - in the following posts. ray2:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 11. Hermit crab.

A Hermit crab uses an abandoned mollusk shell to protect its body. In addition, it carries a sea anemone on the shell as a body guard. The stinging tentacles of the anemone deter the predators.

In return the anemone gains mobility, gets a larger feeding area and even the tasty left overs of the crab's meal!

When the crab outgrows the shell, it moves into a larger shell. It takes its body guard along with it, to its new home.

It gives a warning tap so that the anemone loosens its grip on the old shell. The crab lifts it onto its new shell with its claw.

Now the householder and its body guard are all set and ready for their next outing.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 12. Safety in numbers?

Each autumn thousands of lobsters migrate from the reefs to the deep water, near Bahamas.

They form marching columns up to fifty strong - while crossing the open areas.

Each lobster hooks one pair of its front legs around the tail of the animal in front.

Thus the vulnerable belly and tail of each lobster are protected by the armored legs and antennae of the one behind.

 

[Haridasa Siva]

dear Mr. Siva,
Thank you for the feedback.
Yes, animals seem to be much more understanding, cooperating and helping one another!
:welcome: to this interesting thread with your wonderful family!
with best wishes and regards,
Mrs. V. R.(mami)

You are welcoming me to somewhere where I already am. I have always been getting my "daily doses".

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

:welcome: to this interesting thread with your wonderful family!

I knew you were there already - since you were the one who insisted that the thread should not be closed. :ranger:

I welcomed your wonderful family along with you!:grouphug:

You are welcoming me to somewhere where I already am. I have always been getting my "daily doses".

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 13. The digger and its guard.

The snapping shrimp and Goby fish share a burrow in the sea bed.

When the entrance of their burrow gets littered with ruble, the shrimp clears the rubble using its claws as a mechanical digger.

When the shrimp is thus busy, the Goby fish stands guard with one of its antennae touching the shrimp.

When the Goby fish senses any danger, it wriggles its body. The shrimp is alerted by the movement of it antennae.

It darts to the safety of it burrow- closely followed by the Goby fish.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 14. Home sweet home!

Central American ants have evolved a living arrangement with a tree. They burrow into the base of the swollen thorn acacias - by eating the pulp and hollowing out a nest at the same time.

They make their homes in the sharp fleshy spines.

Once thus established, the ants feed on the special protein rich nodules, growing on the tips of the acacia leaves.

The trees are not harmed by the ants and their eating habits. The ants protect the trees from the other insects, birds and animals.

As soon as the attacker lands on the tree, the patrolling ants sting them and drive them away.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 15. Royal bodyguards.

Caterpillars of the imperial blue butterflies are truly imperial!

The reason.....?

They have their own special team of escorts and bodyguards - a band of terrible black ants!:fear:

Each morning when the caterpillars leave their nests to feed on the leaves of black wattle trees, the ants climb up the tree to join them.

The ants use their large strong jaws to drive away any predators, while the caterpillars feed.

The payment for this special duty is the permission to suck the sugary secretion from the back of the caterpillar. :hungry:

The ants nest underground. They climb the tree every morning to do their guarding duty.

They even watch over the insects in their pupa stage - for free! :baby:

More caterpillars means more honey!
So "Why not?"

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 16. The Cleaner Fish.

Among the coral reefs of the Indian and the Pacific ocean, the cleaner fish offers its free services. Fish of all kinds and sizes make use of this free service.

The cleaner fish relieves the other fish of the parasites and their damaged skins. There are more than 40 species of cleaner fish.

The clients of the sea swallow - a four inches long and striped fish - includes the large predators and eels.

They quietly allow the cleaner fish to do its job - even in their wide open mouth - without swallowing the cleaner fish.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 17. "Fish are friends, not food!"

The small fish Nomeus, spends its life among the dangerous tentacles of the Portuguese-man-of war.

It even shares the food caught by the blood thirsty host. Nomeus is safe as long as it remains uninjured.

Any injury will trigger the predatory instinct of the Portuguese-man-of war and it will eat the little lodger.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 18.The clever clown fish.

The clown fish takes refuge among the stinging tentacles of anemones - to protect itself from the predators.

Reminded of Nemo who couldn't even pronounce anemone - the name of his home?

Clown fish secretes a mucus to counteract the poison discharged by the stinging tentacles.

The anemone is benefited - since the colorful clown attracts the unprotected species near to it.

The clown fish also benefits in two ways - the safety of a home with a 'barbed wire fencing' and the tasty left over food!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 19. Dummy Decoys.

The South east Asian spider Cyclosa Mulmeinensis makes dummies of itself!

It parcels the parts of its pray in silk, till they become of the same size as the spider itself.

It then places these dummies in strategic points of the web. :spider:

Spiders hunting birds are sure to get fooled and take away a dummy and spare the spider.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 20. United we stand!

The musk oxen of Canada, Greenland and Alaska defend themselves by forming defensive rings, from the attacking wolves.

Females and the young ones are in the middle of the circle. All the male wall around them with their horns pointed outside.

If any wolf dares to come close enough, it will be caught by a male and thrown into the circle, using its horns.

The females join in to finish off the wolf by trampling on and stamping it to death.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 21. Economy of coloration.

Poisonous and inedible species imitate each other in colors. This is known as the Economy of Coloration.

This mechanism cuts down the number of colors and warning patterns the predators have to avoid eating.

Thus it reduces the number of poisonous varieties that might be eaten by mistake.

This is named after the 19th century German Zoologist Fritz Muller as "Mullerian Mimicry".

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 22.Puff and Bluff.

Many animals know that the best thing is to BE fierce. The second best thing is to APPEAR to be fierce.

Cats arch their backs and make their hairs stand on edge to appear larger than life - during a fight.

The Australian frilled lizard puffs and bluffs its enemies. It is one meter long and has a frill which lies flat along its neck.

When alarmed, it raises its frill to form a disc 2 feet across. It hisses loudly and opens it mouth to reveal the bright yellow interior.

The combined effect of this sound and color show is too much for any predator and it withdraws as fast as it can - forgetting the fact that these lizards are really harmless.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 23. The sea cucumber.

The sausage shaped sea cucumber can disembowel itself- in order to save its life.

When alarmed or frightened, it contracts its body violently and expels a tangled mass of its own internal organs.

It leaves this mass as a meal for the attacker and quietly escapes. It grows a new set of organs within a few weeks' time.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 24. Radar and Jammer!

Bats locate their prey by means of a sophisticated echo-location system, very much similar to the Radar.

Moths can pick up the high pitched squeals of the bat from a range of hundred feet onwards. The range of the bat is only twenty feet!

So when a moth hears the sound signal sent out by a bat, it will often quietly drop to the ground in mid flight.

Some adventurous moths resort to dogfight. They engage in aerobatics to shake off the bat.

Super smart Tiger moths have even developed their own jamming device-an ultrasonic sound system which throws the bat completely off its target.

Man is only imitating Nature when he discovers anything at all!

 

[Iyyarooraan]

How do the flies and mosquitoes know that you are ready to swat them? If you are concentrating on an item in the newspaper, they fly and drone before your eyes. When you do not and prepare to hit them, they have hidden themselves!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Insects have multiple eyes and can see any movement anywhere-not like humans who can see only in their front. I will be writing in details about the complex eyes, movable eyes in future posts. Hope you don't mind waiting for a few days more.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 25. Confused predators!

Antelopes and gazelles rely on their agility and speed to to escape from lions, cheetahs and hyenas.

African impalas and springboks have a better scheme called pronking.

These animals arch their backs and do vertical high jumps up to 10 feet high, several times.

The predator about to spring on its target gets completely confused by this pronking.

The targets get enough lead to run to safety.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 26. Chemical warfare!

Some species of millipedes have developed highly sophisticated chemical warfare to protect themselves from their predators.

They can release clouds of lethal hydrogen cyanide through the miniature vents along the sides of their body.

They can crawl away to safety leaving behind a cloud of poisonous gas.

 

[talwan]

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, 'Why are you so happy?'

The man replied, 'Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.'

The King was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The Club 99.'

'The Club 99? And what exactly is that?' the King inquired.

The advisor replied, 'Your Majesty, to truly know what The Club 99 is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep.' The King did as advised by his advisor.

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins! He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, 'What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!' He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection. From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The Club 99.'

He continued, 'The Club 99 is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1, saying to themselves: 'Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.'

Moral

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives. But the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. And we stop living life then! Are you a member of The Club 99?