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Thread: Are some animals not as magical as others?

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    I recently heard of this little critter from someone (in the U.S.) who had to pull it out of her hair (along with a very small piece of her scalp). They seem to be fairly common (I've never heard of them) - they are called junk bugs and are deadly predators in the bug world.
    'Junk bugs are cute, but that load they carry is gruesome'
    https://www.al.com/live/2012/11/junk...e%20world.%20(
    'The tiny pile of debris appeared to be magically motivating across the rough surface of a freshly sawed oak stump.

    On closer inspection, the debris, bits of white and black and brown all clumped together in a heap about the size of a pencil eraser, had a set of legs scurrying beneath it. A small face was visible peeking out along the bottom edge.

    Behold the junk bug. Or garbage bug. Or even trash bug if you prefer.
    In reality, the junk bug is actually a cold blooded killer. Study the heap he carries closely. Those aren’t bits of leaves and dirt on his back.

    The heap is made up of dead bodies.

    The junk bug, also known as an aphid lion, is a voracious predator, common around the world. The bug is actually the larval stage of the green lacewing, a delicate and lovely flying insect.'



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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    'Ant juggling water droplets
    The ant is one of the world’s strongest creatures relative to its size. It can carry up to 50 times its own weight.
    Photo: Anadg Photography'

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    I thought this was interesting - I find these prolific bugs annoying and everywhere but, like everything, in nature they count and do have a useful (surprising) purpose.

    'You have already encountered them when lifting a brick or a damp object, you may even have felt disgust, and even wondered what nature was wanting in creating them.
    Well, omniscids, are a suborder of terrestrial isopod crustaceans, whose function in evolution is to eliminate heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, which are extremely harmful to humans, contributing to the cleaning of soil and groundwater. (Don't kill them, don't crush them, pass this along)
    Bancada Ecossistema
    Adaptado : By Nando Goulart'

    Last edited by Eva2; 6th May 2021 at 05:25.

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    United States Avalon Member wondering's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Wow! I have new respect for these things that I have never been thrilled to see under bricks and boards! That's really amazing! Cool, Jill. 😁

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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    I am afraid to open this thread for fear of what horror is the new wonder of the day...
    Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water...Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. Bruce Lee

    Free will can only be as free as the mind that conceives it.

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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
    I am afraid to open this thread for fear of what horror is the new wonder of the day...
    Yikes!! It scares me to look at insect bodies close ups, specially their faces

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    'Living Jewels!
    The Hibiscus Harlequin Bug is a member of the jewel bug family 'Scutelleridae.' These bugs are commonly found in Eastern Australia and New Guinea, and feed on many species of the hibiscus plant where they pierce the stems of young shoots and suck the sugar-rich sap. And they are stunning to look at.
    Connect with Nature!
    Photo: Scott Contini'

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?


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    United States Avalon Member RunningDeer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by Jill (here)
    That is absolutely f-a-s-c-i-n-a-t-i-n-g.

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    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by RunningDeer (here)
    That is absolutely f-a-s-c-i-n-a-t-i-n-g.
    It truly is. The more I see of marvels on both this thread and the Magical Animals thread, the more I reinforce my established certainty that Intelligent Design has been at work, and that much (if not all) of life here is someone's giant science experiment.

    (See this thread to discuss this: Does Intelligent Design = Intelligent Creator? )


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    Canada Avalon Member DeDukshyn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    Quote Posted by RunningDeer (here)
    That is absolutely f-a-s-c-i-n-a-t-i-n-g.
    It truly is. The more I see of marvels on both this thread and the Magical Animals thread, the more I reinforce my established certainty that Intelligent Design has been at work, and that much (if not all) of life here is someone's giant science experiment.

    (See this thread to discuss this: Does Intelligent Design = Intelligent Creator? )

    I'd like to see evolutionists explain the corolla spider. Digs a burrow, in the process finds and isolates six to eight very specifically sized and shaped quartz crystals. After the burrow is completed it takes its quartz crystals, and arranges them in a circle around the entrance of its burrow. It then runs a silk drag line from each crystal, to each of its legs, and waits.

    When an insect or other small invertebrate touches the crystals, the quartz properties amplify the signal of vibration as it runs down the drag line and the spider detects this vibration in its leg(s) and can tell whether there is prey or predator outside its den (assumable by the frequency of the vibration?), and also knows exactly which direction to strike in, in the case of prey.

    Natural selection / random mutation, my ass ...

    Last edited by DeDukshyn; 10th May 2021 at 20:00.
    When you are one step ahead of the crowd, you are a genius.
    Two steps ahead, and you are deemed a crackpot.

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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    What about ticks? It is hard to believe that such a small creature can wreak such havoc. I live in the state of Pennsylvania which ranks the highest in the country for the most tick borne disease cases. What can their purpose on this earth possibly be!?

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    United States Avalon Member RunningDeer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by UNEEKSTUF (here)
    What about ticks? It is hard to believe that such a small creature can wreak such havoc. I live in the state of Pennsylvania which ranks the highest in the country for the most tick borne disease cases. What can their purpose on this earth possibly be!?
    What Purpose Do Ticks Serve in the Ecosystem?
    ”These tiny pests aren't without purpose, however. They benefit the moist, dark ecosystems in which they live by serving as a food source for many reptiles, birds and amphibians. They also help control wild animal populations. Scientists even use them as an indicator of an ecosystem's overall health and stability.

    If disease-carrying, blood-sucking parasites aren't really your thing, you would probably support a plan to eradicate ticks from the planet. These tiny pests aren't without purpose, however. They benefit the moist, dark ecosystems in which they live by serving as a food source for many reptiles, birds and amphibians. They also help control wild animal populations. Scientists even use them as an indicator of an ecosystem's overall health and stability. Found throughout forests and grasslands in North America and Europe, these annoying little critters do serve a purpose.

    Food Source

    When ticks are feeding on you or your pets, it's easy to forget that other species are feeding on the ticks. Ticks are an important source of food for several species of reptiles, amphibians and birds. Many woodland animals feed on them as well, including wild turkeys and western fence lizards. Knowing that ticks are a source of food may help you appreciate their existence, but it also gives you a clue how to combat them. Some people living in areas with heavy tick infestations raise guinea fowl, which eat the ticks and reduce their population. This practice is particularly common in areas that house livestock and helps protect farm animals from tick-borne disease.

    Disease Vector

    Humans who think about diseases are often trying to prevent or cure them. Like ticks, however, disease serves an important purpose. Disease helps to control wildlife populations while weeding out the weaker animals, preventing them from passing on potentially flawed traits. Nature is all about survival of the fittest, and disease helps determine which animals are, in fact, the fittest. Ticks carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, all of which have a big influence on the health of animal populations within an ecosystem. Without these diseases and the ticks that spread them, an area could find itself overrun with deer, rabbits, mice and other animals who otherwise would have become ill and died.

    Avoiding Ticks

    Completely eliminating ticks probably isn't possible and is a potentially bad idea, even if it were feasible. It's still important to protect yourself from them, however, so you don't contract one of the many diseases they carry. The longer a tick remains attached to its host, the greater the chance that it will transfer disease-causing bacteria to that host. Check yourself and your pets after hikes and outdoor romps, promptly removing any ticks you find, To do so, pull the tick out of the skin gently with a pair of tweezers. Use a slow and steady motion. Do not twist or tug, as this may cause its mouthparts to remain embedded in the host. Clean the area of the tick bite thoroughly after removal. Avoid tick bites by wearing long pants, socks and sturdy shoes in areas known to harbor ticks. Insect repellents that contain DEET are also effective for warding off these parasites. Protect your pets with an appropriate flea and tick preventive.

    article

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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Quote Posted by Jill (here)
    Holy molely, at first glance I thought an artist had painted a bunch of bugs for Easter.

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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

     
    Bambi eats Thumper?

    (Warning: not for the overly squeamish) ... this is the second video I have seen of this behaviour in deer (in the other one the rabbit was still alive) ... in both they went for the back feet/legs (mostly bone). In dire need of some calcium, or trying to extract the luck?

    When you are one step ahead of the crowd, you are a genius.
    Two steps ahead, and you are deemed a crackpot.

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Not sure where this should be - Magical Animals or here - sorta ugly so decided here is a good place.

    I read somewhere that when these fish wash ashore, a tsumani or earthquake is soon to follow - considering they live around the Pacific Rim of Fire, I guess this isn't a big stretch.

    Photo #1 credit Ben Estes
    Remaining photos credit: @crystalcovestatepark

    'Not something we pulled onto the boat today but still an AMAZINGLY RARE FIND off of local @newportbeach at Crystal Cove State Park yesterday. State park rangers and lifeguards with Crystal Cove State Park were alerted to a weird looking fish that washed ashore Friday morning from beach visitor Ben Estes who happened to notice it on the sand.
    .
    It’s been identified as a deep sea Pacific Footballfish, which is a species of anglerfish that are normally dwellings at depths more than 3,000 ft below the surface. It’s one of more than 300 living species of anglerfish from around the world. Though the fish itself is not rare, it is extremely rare to see one this intact along a beach in southern CA.
    .
    The fleshy long dorsal fin, called an illicium, extends in the front of the mouth and has a phosphorescent bulb on the end which can emit light to attract unsuspecting prey closer to it.
    .
    It’s not know yet why this 18” fish washed ashore almost perfectly preserved, but our partners @crystalcoveconservancy explained that It’s still unclear where this rare find will end up (either with museums/ educational institutions etc), but it is currently housed with CA Department of Fish & Wildlife.'









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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    These guys ARE magical.

    Lobster Removing its Shell - Fast forward to 3:50.


    Hermit crab changing shells with anemones (2:39)

    Footage of a Moulting Crayfish (1:15)


    Red King Crab Molting (2:13)

    Last edited by RunningDeer; 11th May 2021 at 15:19.

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    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    Ok, before today I had never entered this thread.

    I'd like to thank you all, you utter, utter bastards. Not only have you had me in tears, you have, apparently intentionally, freaked me out; and also reminded me of a past I'd rather bury in the sands of time and refuse to acknowledge.

    Want more info?

    When I was a kid, no! I didn't torture animals, but I was completely insensitive. To be honest most anything not human scared me, and I guess a lot of what passed for human scared me too.
    I was stung, bit and repulsed by most of what any child probably encounters in an average early life. A bird coming through a window and flapping around the room at age eith absolutley terrified me. I couldn't go to sleep in a room if there was moth fluttering around at the window, or light bulb.

    At the age of 14 I shot my first victim with an air rifle. A blue tit. I didn't kill it, it lay on the ground gasping for breath - and I felt like absolute ****. Incredibly, showing just how resilient kids are I manage to forget about that and several years later deliberately ran over a 'baby' rabbit. I actually accelerated to try and catch it. And I did. I got out of the car and walked back to the scene of my triumph. I'd hit the little bastard. It was still alive, kicking and squirming in the road.

    It was then I realised I was the bastard. I was 18 years old and a part of me was asking the other "What the **** did you do that for?"

    I guess it was somewhere around there that a switch flipped and I began the long, slow process of awakening.

    I save everything I can*. I even buried a thrush that flew into our window breaking its neck in the process and offered up a prayer.

    *I still kill mosquitos though, the little bastards!

    -----------------

    To intelligent design. For me the evidence is everywhere and overwhelming.

    And it is all interlinked. Some creatures might freak us out but in the gestalt they are as much a part of the picture as anything else. The Australians will know about the Cane Toad, an example of where man thought he knew best. There are dozens examples of that all around the world. It is in balance until humans interfere!

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    As morbid as this may be, I have to admit an intense curiosity and fascination with these tiny creatures and, what seems to be, an overwhelming need to keep the species alive. This "instinct" and need to make that ultimate sacrifice seems to over ride anything else in their short existence. Sometimes I think about spending 10 seconds in their "heads" (which would probably equate to minutes or more in their life span) just to experience that tremendous urge. But, I wouldn't want to spend too long there!

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    Avalon Member Eva2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are some animals not as magical as others?

    I actually think this is a magical little guy but, since he's a bug, am posting him here:
    'The late independent scientist, Andreas Kay, shot the above video of the Ecuadorian Nymph. Kay, who explored Ecuador’s biodiversity while alive, captured the video as the puffy insect ran around on his finger.'
    Walking popcorn

    This flatid planthopper nymph from the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador is covered with waxy filaments for protection.

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