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#Animal facts
bethanythebogwitch · 2 days
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Wet Beast Wednesday: tardigrades
Last week on Wet Beast Wednesday I covered the largest animals to ever exist on our planet. This week I'm going to pull a full 180 and cover the smallest animals yet on this series. Meet the tardigrade, the internet's favorite micro-animal the is said to be basically immortal. How true is that? Let's see.
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(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade. It looks a lot like a potato with eight stubby legs tipped with long claws. At the front is a small, circular mouth. It has no other discernable features. In the background are bits of plant matter that look like seaweed at this scale. End ID)
The tardigrades are 1,300 known species (and probably a lot of unknown ones too) in the phylum Tardigrada. They are also part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa, which are animals that grow by molting their outer cuticles or exoskeletons. In particular, the tardigrades are believed to be a sister group of the arthropods, the group that contains crustaceans, insects, isopods, and a lot of other things. Tardigrades are truly tiny, the largest species reaching a whopping 1.5 millimeters in length, though most species reach no more than 0.5 mm. They have round, segmented bodies with four pairs of legs that end in either claws or suction discs. The body segments consist of a head, three body segments with a pair of legs each, and a caudal segment with the final pair of legs. The first three legs are used for movement while the final pair points backwards and is used for grabbing onto substrate. All of the body segments except for the final one correspond to segments found in the head section of insects. Tardigrades are missing many hox genes, genes that direct the body plan during development. Their ancestors may have had a body plan more similar to insects, but the loss of the hox genes has compressed them into walking heads with a bit of butt. The mouth is tubular and sucks in food. In the mouth are stylets, needle-like structures used to pierce food objects. Once food is drawn into the mouth, a structure called the buccopharyngeal apparatus activates. This is a combination of spines and muscle that acts like an inner jaw that pulls food into the digestive tract. The buccopharyngeal apparatus is distinct enough to be used as a major identifying feature between species. Tardigrades are translucent and many images you've seen of them have false color to show the details or are 3D models based on scanning electron microscope imagery of them. Tardigrades molt their exoskeletons multiple times (up to 12) during their lifecycle. Some species are unable to poop normally and instead all their waste is discarded during the molt. It was formerly believed that tardigrades could exchange genes with each other without mating, a process called horizontal gene transfer that is seen in bacteria, archaea, and other micro-organisms. It has since been discovered that while still capable of horizontal gene transfer, it is quite a bit rarer in tardigrades than we thought.
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(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade standing on a bit of plant matter. This one has a closed mouth with a ring of triangular tooth-like structures. It also has two simple eyes that look like black dots. End ID)
The name "tardigrade" means "slow walker", which is fitting as, despite their eight legs, tardigrades have a slow and awkward gait. This is the result of their legs being unjointed, only able to pivot at their connection to the body. Their gait has been compared to that of bears, hence why they are often called water bears and their discoverer, Johann August Ephraim Goeze, called them "kleiner wasserbär", meaning "little water bear". Tardigrades are found worldwide and have inhabited virtually every habitat, from the tops of mountains to the deep sea, from hot springs to the antarctic, from freshwater to saltwater. The one thing they have in common is a need to stay wet. Tardigrades can survive out of water as long as they can stay moist and are often found in mosses, hence another common name: moss piglets. The majority either eat plants or bacteria, but some will feed on smaller tardigrades or other micro-animals. Their famous survivability makes it easy for tardigrades or their eggs to be carried to new habitats by larger animals or other phenomena. Tardigrades are one of the first micro-animals to colonize a new habitat and they are a pioneer species, the first species to colonize a new environment and whose presence makes that environment fore suitable for other species to follow. Tardigrades are a major food source to other micro-animals and larger organisms. Most species have distinct males and females, though a few reproduce through parthenogenesis. In most cases, molting female will lay her eggs in her shed cuticle and males will them fertilize them. Other species have a form of internal reproduction. Males and females will court each other before mating and females will usually allow multiple males to fertilize her eggs. Female tardigrades are typically larger and more abundant than males. Eggs can take up to 14 days (species dependent) before hatching. All tardigrades of the same species have the exact same number of cells as each other. They are also born with the same number of cells they will have as an adult. Their growth is driven by enlargement of the existing cells rather than cellular reproduction making new cells. The lifespan ranges between a few months to a few years, depending on species.
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(Image: a color photo of a tardigrade. It is a pale, translucent white, making it hard to make out details. Its body is curved, with the front end pointing at the camera. It has two simple eyes. End ID)
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(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade egg. It is round but covered in small pores and conical structures. End ID)
The most famous feature of tardigrades is their legendary durability. It is commonly said that tardigrades can survive just about anything (except for the things that are actually trying to kill them. They are prey to a lot of species after all). Among the things they can survive is extreme heat, extreme cold, dehydration, extremely high and low pressure, exposure to ionizing radiation (that's the scary kind), low oxygen environments, environmental toxins, heavy impacts, and the vacuum of fucking space. While the can survive in extreme conditions, tardigrades are not considered extremophiles. True extremophiles thrive in extreme environments and are negatively impacted by leaving them. Tardigrades can survive in extreme environments, but are negatively impacted and can't survive as well there as they can in less extreme places. The main trait that has allowed tardigrades to survive all five mass extinctions in history is cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is the rare ability for an animal to enter a state of dormancy where their metabolic processes come to an almost complete stop. While in cryptobiosis, metabolic activity drops to 0.01% normal and water content drops to 1% normal. In this state, the tardigrade is called a tun. Tardigrades usually enter cryptobiosis in response to arid conditions. One experiment showed that a species of tardigrade could last for at least 30 years in this state and return to normal lifestyle functions when exposed to water. Tardigrades will also enter cryptobiosis in response to low oxygen, toxic chemical exposure, increased or decreased temperature, and excessive salt content in the water. Tardigrades also show extreme resistance to both high and low pressure. They can live in 0 atmospheres of pressure and some species can survive up to 6,000 atmospheres, more than double the pressure at the bottom of the Marianas trench. More interesting is their ability to survive dangerous radiation. They can survive 1,000 times the dose of gamma radiation that humans can. Early tests focused on tardigrades in cryptobiosis and concluded that the extremely low water content of a cryptobiotic tardigrade doesn't leave much opportunity for the radiation to react with the animal. However it was later found that active and fully hydrated tardigrades are still considerably resistant to radiation. Studies into this resistance indicate that tardigrades can very efficiently repair damaged DNA and have unique proteins called Dsup that provides additional protection. Dsup introduced to human cells has provided additional protection against x-rays.
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(Image: an electron microscope image of a tun - a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. It is smaller and very wrinkly, with the legs and mouth retracted into the body. End ID)
Tardigrades were the first animals to be exposed to the vacuum of space. They were exposed for 10 days, some in a state of cryptobiosis at the time of exposure and some still active. It was found that they were able to survive the vacuum when shielded from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, with those already in cryptobiosis doing better. Upon being rehydrated, many were able to resume normal life functions and successfully reproduce, though others died after being rehydrated. Those that were exposed to UV radiation fared much worse, with only a few hydrated individuals surviving. The individuals in cryptobiosis had a lower survival rate when exposed to UV than those not exposed to UV and were less successful at reproducing afterwards. Studies of tardigrade's space survival abilities and resistance to radiation could go a long way in helping human space travel. One of the largest dangers of space travel is that space is full of nasty radiation from the sun that Earth's magnetic field protects us from. Some scientists speculate about the possibility of accidentally seeding other planets or moons with tardigrades or other space-resistant organisms. This is a problem because introducing Earth life to other world has the potential to damage any native ecosystems and if we find life in space in the future we don't want to have to figure out if it's something we accidentally put there. While tardigrades could likely survive on other planets, they would eventually die without a food source. Some sources reported that tardigrades may have colonized the moon after an experiment with them crashed. Unfortunately, the moon is not crawling with tardigrades now. It's way too dry for them to exit cryptobiosis even if they survived the crash, which they probably didn't.
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(Image: art of a tardigrade floating in the vacuum of space. End ID. Source: University of California - Santa Barbara)
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the-animal-kingdom · 2 days
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Did you know, that nudibranch’s (aka. Sea slugs) are hermaphrodites, which means that they have both male and female reproductive systems, meaning that when they find a mate, they inseminate each other at the same time; they do this by spearing each other with their genitalia.
Here is my favourite sea slug, the butterfly cyerce nudibranch, and they feed on algae:
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importantanimalfacts · 7 months
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robot-pup · 8 months
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The teeth of a crabeater seal
Specially evolved for sieving krill & small crustaceans out of the seawater! These highly adapted seals are the most abundant species of pinniped on the planet.
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sixteenseveredhands · 9 months
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The Camouflaged Looper: these caterpillars fashion their own camouflage by collecting flower petals/vegetation and using silk to "glue" the pieces onto their bodies
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Though they're often referred to as "camouflaged loopers," these caterpillars are the larvae of the wavy-lined emerald moth (Synchlora aerata).
Camouflaged loopers deploy a unique form of self-defense -- they snip off tiny pieces of the flowers upon which they feed, then use bits of silk to attach the vegetation to their backs. This provides them with a kind of camouflage, enabling them to blend in with the plants that they eat.
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Some of them create little tufts that run along their backs, while others fashion a thicker camouflage that covers their backs completely. In some cases, the camouflaged loopers will even build much larger bundles that surround their entire bodies.
Their range includes most of North America (from southern Canada down through Texas) and they can feed upon an enormous variety of plants -- so the disguises that these caterpillars build can come in countless colors, shapes, and sizes, incorporating many different flowers and other bits of vegetation.
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And this is what the fully-developed moth looks like:
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Sources & More Info:
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy: Wavy-Lined Emerald, Master of Disguise
Maryland Biodiversity Project: Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth (Synchlora aerata)
The Caterpillar Lab: Camouflaged Looper
University of Alberta Museums: Synchlora aerata
Missouri Department of Conservation: Wavy-Lined Emerald
Nebraskaland Magazine: The Amazing Camouflaged Looper
Lake County Forest Preserves: Camouflage Revealed
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amnhnyc · 3 months
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Meet one of the planet’s smallest turtles: the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)! This petite reptile grows up to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long. It’s easily identifiable by the orange patches on either side of its head.
The bog turtle has an impressive lifespan, with the oldest documented individual reaching an age of 61! Unfortunately, this species is critically endangered due in part to poaching and habitat loss as a result of human expansion.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, CC BY 2.0, flickr (juvenile pictured)
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@sabertoothwalrus Now that people are interested in moles. These three moles are not related.
Top one is Laurasiatheria (same superorder as dogs, horses, bats, and hedgehogs)
Middle one is Afrotheria (same superorder as elephants, tenrecs, aardvarks, and manatees)
And the bottom one is Australidelphia (same superorder as cuscuses, quolls, bandicoots, and wallabies)
All three have convergently evolved to be moles! How cool is that!
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lepurcinus · 2 years
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Today in important facts about bunnies:
Northern Arctic hares have a strange habit of fleeing by hopping on their hind legs instead of running on all fours, and no one knows why the hell this happens
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yeehawpim · 5 months
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it IS just silly to compare human and animal behaviour like there's a moral lesson, but reading that crows are "socially monogamous but genetically promiscuous" has stuck with me lol
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sarahmackattack · 2 months
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In my 4-week class, Mating Rituals of the Animal Kingdom, we'll cover things you never even THOUGHT to ask about animal mating.
INCLUDING:
-Spitballs, given as romantic gifts
-Spider Sex Percussionists™
-Bee perfumers
-Lemur Stink Fights
-Springtail females bench pressing males, who then Raccacoonie them to the pile of sperm the males prepared, so she then sits on it (God bless springtails)
-& MORE
Sign up here
I need 6 more people to sign up or Atlas Obscura won't run the course and this course is SO SILLY and SO FUN and you'll learn so much weird shit I can't even tell you. And JUST in time for VALENTINES day.
This class has no homework, and you can watch it live or later!
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critter-catcher · 9 months
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On this day of freedom, let's talk about how bald eagles are queer!
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It starts with a female eagle named Hope and a male named Valor I. The two settled down to neat together, however Valor I wasn't a great dad. He did show up to incubate the eggs and basically never came around.
In comes another male, Valor II. He immediately did what a good eagle dad is supposed to, incubate, maintain the best, all that. This lead to him becoming Hope's new mate.
Here's where it gets interesting, Valor I didn't seem to mind and actually stuck around! Eventually Hope started mating with both of them, and Valor I even learned to be a good dad!
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Unfortunately in 2017 Hope was killed by intruding eagles, but! The two male's actually stuck together and successfully raised their chicks!
Soon enough a new female named Starr came along and joined the two, and now she mates with both males every season!
This arrangement allows for the eagles to have a much more successful rate of raising chicks and fighting off other predators!
This particular story isn't the only one! Bald eagles have been seen in multiple arrangements including two females and one male!
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bethanythebogwitch · 2 months
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I heard it's Superb Owl Sunday so I have prepared some superb owls for you.
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The barn owl is the most widespread species of owl, living on every continent except Antarctica. Their faces are shaped like a disk to help their hearing, giving them some of the best hearing of any owl. They mostly hunt by sound.
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Snowy owls are the largest arctic predatory birds, They are born with black feathers and get whiter as they age. Females usually have more dark feathers than males.
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Eastern screech owls have a few feather variants that make them look like completely different species.
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The southern white-faced owl can increase its metabolic rate during winter to compensate for the cold and lack of food. They lay their eggs in nests built and abandoned by other birds.
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The great grey owl is the largest owl by length, but a lot of that is feathers and they're actually very light for their size. Their hearing is good enough to hear rodents burrowing through snow and they can break through hard-packed snow to catch prey.
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Blakiston's fish owl is the largest owl by mass and eats mostly fish. Despite the name, they may be more closely related to eagle owls than fish owls.
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The elf owl is the smallest owl species, barely larger than a sparrow. They hunt bugs and play dead when caught. They like to live in holes in saguaro cacti.
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Burrowing owls live in underground burrows. While they can dig, they mostly take over burrows from other animals. Farmers killing prairie dogs has severely reduced burrowing owl populations. They decorate their burrows with feces to attract bugs to eat.
The barking owl is called that because
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Its nice to have a day to appreciate superb owls. Feel free to spread the love by reblogging with some more owl facts.
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things-ya-should-know · 4 months
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Lobe finned versus ray finned fish
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Short answer: ray finned fish evolved from from lobe finned fish
Long answer: Lobe finned fish were dominant for a long time in the waters before they climbed up onto land and evolved into you, dear reader. This occurred around 400 MYA (million years ago). Sometime before that, about 425 MYA, ray finned fishes had evolved, but remained relatively small. This was until the permian mass extinction (290-245 MYA), when many lobe finned fish died out, and ray finned fishes (teleosts) were left to flourish and evolve to fill the empty evolutionary niches. The only lobe finned fish left behind today are the elusive coelacanths and lungfish. ***AND*** as the awesome people in the notes would like me to add, all tetrapods (tetra meaning four, pod meaning foot) are phylogenetically lobe finned fishes as well. this means amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
@marinebiologyshitposts @fuckyeahcoelacanths
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importantanimalfacts · 5 months
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robot-pup · 1 year
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the ribbon seals most defining feature, their stripes, take 4 years to develop!
here is a short timeline of their development 🦭
adorable white coat ribbon seal pups. this baby fur is called lanugo.
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after around 1 month pups will start shedding their baby fur to reveal a grey and silver coat
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young seals with their grey and silver coat
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then, the juvenile seals with start to develop their stripes over the next 3 years. they grow stronger with each moult, females can reach sexual maturity before they have fully developed stripes. this mothers stripes aren’t fully there yet.
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once they’re 4 years old a ribbon seals stripes will have fully developed.
male and female are easy to tell apart by their coat colour, the males will have bold black and white stripes
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whereas the females have more brown/beige/silver stripes
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uncharismatic-fauna · 1 month
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The Palestine Sunbird Persists
The Palestine sunbird, also known as the orange-tufted sunbird (Cinnyris osea) is the national bird of Palestine, and often seen as a symbol of resistance and hope. This species occurs in dry climates, particularly desert, scrubland, and savannahs, but can also be found in orchards and gardens where flowers are abundant. In addition to the Levant, C. osea occurs throughout the southwest cost of Saudia Arabia and the coasts of Yemen and Oman in the south.
C. osea is a small bird, 8 to 12 cm (3.1-4.7 in) long with a wingspan of only 14 to 16 cm (5.5-6.2 in). Males weigh on average 7.6 g (0.26 oz) and females are slightly smaller, at about 6.8 g (0.24 oz). Males are quite easy to identify due to their striking plumage; their feathers are iridescent, appearing dark until they shimmer glossy blue or green, with orange tufts at the side of the breast. In contrast females are fairly drab; grey-brown with a lighter underside. The beaks of the Palestine sunbird are also noted for their distinctively long and curved, which they have developed to efficiently feed on nectar.
Although not directly part of the hummingbird family, the Palestine sunbird shares many similarities with the group. Its diet consists of nectar, and is supplemented with insects. Their tongues are long, and brush-like, and the shape of their beak allows them to reach down to the base of the flower. For flowers that are , they will use their sharp beaks to pierce the side and access the nectar directly. All this is done at very high speeds, but unlike hummingbirds the Palestine sunbird cannot hover in place, and must land in order to feed. Because of their primary reliance on nectar, the orange-tufted sunbird is an important pollinator in its native region. Adults are rarely predated upon, but eggs and young are often targets for lizards, snakes, and birds of prey.
Reproduction begins in June, and continues through October. Males establish and defend territories, and court females by singing to attract a potential mate, then chasing her until she perches to signal her acceptance. Following the pairing, the two construct a purse-like nest, sometimes with a porch-like structure, that hangs from a branch. In this nest, 1-2 eggs are laid, and are incubated primarily by the female, while the male provides her food. The eggs take 13 to 14 days to hatch, and chicks are taken care of by both parents for an additional 14 to 21 days. Individuals can live up to 5 years in the wild.
Conservation status: The Palestine sunbird has a large range and population, and is thus considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Its primary threat is habitat loss due to agriculture and urban development.
If you send me proof that you’ve made a donation to UNRWA or another organization benefiting Palestinians, I’ll make art of any animal of your choosing.
Remember, the donation can be in any amount– every dollar counts!
Photos
Jorrit Vlot
Dula Alhashimi
Rana Hijawi
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