Wild Facts

Photo by Bill Love/Blue Chameleon Ventures

Yesterday we had the opportunity to study the cute and cuddly Wooly Lemur. I figured I would keep that trend going today with the Giant Desert Centipede. What?!? Believe it or not, I actually read one resource that said this is one of the “prettier” centipedes out there, which goes to show that beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. This large centipede is also known as the Giant Red-Headed Centipede for obvious reasons (hint:  look at their head ) and can be found throughout the deserts in Southern USA. Just remember, if you are ever lost in the desert….you are not alone!

Everything is Bigger in Texas

You can’t talk about the GIANT Desert Centipede without discussing why it gets this name. They get this “giant” prefix since they have an average length between 15-22 cm (6 – 9″). Go ahead and use your hands to measure out nine inches…… Now imagine that is a centipede! If you ever get to choose the desert you are lost in, I don’t recommend picking one in Texas. Research shows that things really are bigger in Texas, including the Giant Desert Centipede which seems to always be at the higher end of their length averages.

Click for Photo Source

A Painful Bite

As with any large animal, you have to wonder if they are dangerous. While they may not be the deadliest animal in the world, I definitely wouldn’t want to get bit by these giant creatures. The bite of a Giant Desert Centipede may not kill you but it will definitely make you uncomfortable for awhile. This particular animal is known to have a powerful jaw (for a centipede) and will inject a toxin into your skin. To make matters worst, a bite from the Giant Red-Headed Centipede will likely transfer a lot of bacteria. Why? Well, these creatures feed on decaying flesh and faeces for a living. I am not a doctor but I don’t think it would be a good idea to add the bacteria from decaying flesh into an open wound. My advice:

Don’t let a Giant Desert Centipede bite you!

Well folks, that does it for another Wild Fact. I will see you tomorrow for the last fact of the week.

Ghost Crab Facts

BOOO!

Yes, it is Halloween so I would like to take a moment to wish all of you a very Happy Halloween. Enjoy the night of ghosts, goblins and ghouls, but please be careful out there. Before you get dressed up and head out to scavenge for candy, let’s take a second to learn about an ocean creature that apparently was running out of ideas for their Halloween costume. Doesn’t the Ghost Crab, look like it just cut two holes in their mom’s favourite sheet and put it over their head? The truth is, the Ghost Crab loves this costume so much that they wear it all year long.

This little Halloween creature can be found scurrying along the sandy shores of many tropical and sub-tropical areas. Rightly so, they are also called Sand Crabs as a result of their love for digging. In fact, this little crab is capable of large, deep burrows which generally consists of a long shaft with a chamber on each end. As an added safety feature, they will have a second entrance into their two bedroom home….just in case they run out of Halloween candy and need to make a quick escape.

Photo by Hans Hillewaert (Wikimedia)

The Ghost Crab is sort of a homebody as they spend the majority of their day hiding from the heat (in summer) or the cold (in winter) in their nice deep burrow. As night falls they will emerge, as most Ghosts do, to feed on the dead…..oh wait, that’s Zombies. Never mine, the Ghost Crab will typically feed on mole crabs, clams, turtle hatchlings and carrion (dead animals). How about that! This particular Ghost does feed on the dead.

Although, they hang out in their sandy home, these ghastly crabs breathe through gills, like a fish. Therefore, they need to keep these gills wetted with seawater. I guess this is why it is important for them to have a house with an ocean view. Similarly, they need to venture back into the ocean to release their eggs, which will eventually turn into marine larvae.  So apparently, this ghost haunts both land and water. I guess no place is safe from the diabolical and deadly……..Ghost Crab!

Have a great Halloween and enjoy your candy!

Photo from Wikimedia

Today is probably one of the best days for parents and one of the worst for kids. That’s right, it is Back to School for the young ones. The good thing is, whether you are a parent or a kid, you will get to learn something interesting today. In fact, we are all going to take a few minutes to learn about the incredible Whip Scorpion. There are about 75 different species of Whip Scorpions but like we normally do at Wild Facts, we are going to talk about the general characteristics of this invertebrate.

The two things you would probably notice first when looking at a Whip Scorpion are their incredibly large pincers and their unusual “whip-like” tail.  As you might suspect, the large pincers, which are located next to their mouth, are used to catch the scorpion’s prey before crushing it to death. To make matters even worse for the poor, helpless prey, is the fact that the Whip Scorpion is able to swing their tail around like a whip, which I am sure would catch most prey by surprise. Personally, I don’t think this is an animal I would want to mess with.

Photo from Wikimedia

So, do I need to be concerned about having to mess with a Whip Scorpion? No, not really. The Whip Scorpion may look slightly similar to a scorpion but they don’t have any venom, which makes them pretty much harmless to humans. Now, if I were an insect, a millipede or a worm, then I would be very concerned. In fact, the Whip Scorpion is such an effective predator that they play a key role in controlling the population of crickets and cockroaches. See, so not all scorpions are bad!

Okay, where can we find these interesting and useful Whip Scorpions? Well, they are typically found in Tropical, Sub-Tropical and hot, dry areas all around the world. Unfortunately you won’t find them in Europe, Australia and except for an introduced species, Africa. If they are located in your part of the world then you can start looking for them under logs, rocks and any other dark, cool place you can think of. What are you waiting for? Let’s get outside and start looking for some Whip Scorpions.

That does it for us today but don’t worry, there will be another fun and exciting animal fact tomorrow! See you then.

Photo from Wikimedia

Today’s Wild Fact is going to look at an animal that received a little bit of negative media attention a few years ago. We will talk about why the tabloids were bashing the poor little Oriental Rat Flea (also known as the Tropical Rat Flea) shortly but first let’s find out where we need to travel to today in order to study this insect. Well, you probably won’t have to travel too far since the Oriental Rat Flea can be found worldwide, but usually hangs out in the warmer tropical and sub-tropical climates. And really, can you blame them? I have done winters in Northern Canada and I think these insects have the right idea.

Okay, so why is the Oriental Rat Flea so famous and what did they do to receive some bad press? It is time to go waaaay back in your memory banks and think about what was happening to Europe in the mid 1300′s. Granted, my dad is probably the only one reading this blog that was alive back then but that is besides the point (just kidding, dad…. I know you were born in the 1400′s). Have you figured it out yet? Of course you have, I am talking about a little pandemic known as the Bubonic Plague, also known as The Black Death, which sounds much more ominous so we will go with that one. Yep, the Oriental Rat Flea was one of the main vectors that transmitted the plague from those scurrying sewer rats to humans (wait a minute, I don’t think they had sewers back then but they should have to help prevent things like, I don’t know… The Black Death!). As you can imagine, the Oriental Rat Flea had a tough time making friends during that time.

Photo from Wikimedia

But we haven’t experienced any major plagues lately, so maybe now is a good time to befriend this little critter. Let’s learn a little more about this Flea before we decide to accept them on Facebook. The Oriental Rat Flea is about 2.5 mm long and is designed for jumping long distances. These little long jumpers can leap an amazing 200 times their body size, which is somewhere around 50 cm (20″) AND they are capable of jumping 130 times their height, so about 33 cm (13″). If you sit down and think about it, this is crazy! That tiny flea can almost jump 2 feet – I can’t even jump two feet!

So we all know the Oriental Rat Flea was responsible for transmitting the Plague but how did they do it? Well, their mouth parts are designed for doing two things. First, they will spit some saliva or digested food particles into the wound and then they begin to suck up some scrumptious blood (scrumptious for the flea…not for me, that is gross). Now do you see how they were able to spread this deadly disease? I mean, do they really have to spit on you?

So that does it for our little trip into the history books. I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel a little itchy after today’s Wild Fact. I hope I don’t catch The Black Death. See you tomorrow…..maybe!

Image Source - Daily Mail Reporter (click picture)

Happy middle of the week, everyone! I trust that you have been enjoying the week so far and have been anxiously awaiting the newest Wild Fact.  Well I am happy to say that the wait is over! To celebrate hump day we are going to talk about a bear that absolutely loves the water. Of course, I am talking about the amazing Water Bear. What? You have never heard of the Water Bear? Well, keep reading to find out a little more about this microscopic barrel of fun.

Okay, so by now, you have probably realized that the Water Bear isn’t actually a bear. Basically, the only things they have in common with a regular ol’ bear is the way they walk…..oh and they also hibernate. So what does a Water Bear look like? Well, the length of the Water Bear is typically between 0.3 to 0.5 mm (0.012 – 0.02 inches), so clearly they are not the largest animal in the world. Their bodies have five segments, if you include the head, with 4 pairs of legs. Each leg obviously has a foot and each foot has anywhere between 4 to 8 claws. So far, these creatures sound like something you would see in space.

Photo by RPGCH (Wikimedia)

Actually, these little creatures have survived in space. Believe it or not, we have exposed the Water Bear to the harsh elements of space, including harmful amounts of radiation. This would instantly kill a human and most other animals, but the hardy Water Bear actually survived. Whenever, the environment of the Water Bear gets unbearable, they will go into a state called Cryptobiosis, which means they basically shut everything off. The ultimate hibernation! In this state, these creepy little critters have been able to withstand intense heat (151 degrees Celsius), freezing cold (-272 degrees Celsius), high pressure (1200 times higher than atmospheric pressure) and have even been able to survive 10 years without water. To sum it all up, the Water Bear has Super-Powers….Oh and I don’t think Kryptonite has any impact on them.

Water Bear Fast Fact – So what does a durable bear such as this need to fuel itself? Well, this microscopic superhero keeps its body running by following a strict diet of plant cells, algae and very small invertebrates. Maybe this type of diet will turn you into a Superhero as well. Can’t hurt to try, right?

That does it for today’s featured animal. Tune in tomorrow for another thrilling episode of Wild Facts. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Photo by Mike Baird (Wikimedia)

Now I know all of you are sad that you have to go back to work today but hopefully you enjoyed your long weekend.  To help ease you back into the work week, we are going to look at a nice cuddly animal.  What?!? I am sure somebody would cuddle with the Emperor Scorpion. Okay, so maybe they aren’t the most snuggly animal in the world but they are the largest Scorpion in the world, which has to count for something.  If you are looking to check out this incredible Scorpion species then you will need to book a flight to Africa.  How come nobody is rushing out to go and view the world’s largest scorpion?

Okay, so just how big is the Emperor Scorpion?  I knew you would ask this question so I came prepared.  This particular Scorpion only gets up to 23 cm (9″) in length.  Don’t worry though they typically average a mere 20 cm (8′) in length. That is much better, isn’t it? The nice thing about the Emperor Scorpion is the fact that they have a relatively low toxicity level and some humans have reported no effects after being stung. Although other humans have reported intense pain, so maybe some are just tougher than others.

Emperor Scorpion under UV Light - Photo by Pnwnature (Wikimedia)

You most likely will never have to worry about being stung by these beautiful creatures since Emperor Scorpions, like most scorpions, tend to be reclusive and would rather hide all day – only coming out to hunt for food.  And no, humans are not on their list of prey items. These large creatures will mostly feed on termites, so if you are a termite or know someone that is, then they should be careful.

Emperor Scorpion Fast Fact - Due to their incredibly large size (for a scorpion) and their relatively low toxicity level, the Emperor Scorpion is very popular among the pet trade. Hmmm… I guess some people do like to cuddle these animals. Interestingly enough, to find these scorpions and force them into the pet market, hunters will use ultraviolet lights.  Why? Well it isn’t just because UV lights are cool!  You see, the Emperor Scorpion will turn bluish under this light making them easier to spot. Perhaps this trick would work with your car keys?

Okay, well I guess that is enough Scorpion talk for one day.  Enjoy your day at work and I will see you tomorrow.

Photo by Chosovi (Wikimedia)

Welcome to Wild Fact #629!  I hope all of you are enjoying your week so far and are looking forward to learning about another amazing animal.  Today we are heading to the ocean floor to see if we can find a Horseshoe Crab.  Don’t let the name trick you though as this animal is neither a horseshoe or a real crab.  Although they may resemble your common crustacean (i.e. lobster, crab, etc) they actually belong to a separate sub-phylum (fancy taxonomy way of saying the Horseshoe Crab is not in the same category as crustaceans).  As a result they are distantly related to spiders and scorpions but I doubt you will see a spider and a Horseshoe Crab hanging out at their next family picnic.

One of the most amazing things about the Horseshoe Crab is just how long they have been around in pretty much the same shape and form.  I know you are curious so I will fill you in on their age.  It is estimated that the Horseshoe Crab has pretty much remained unchanged for about 455 million years.  Believe it or not some scientists believe they can trace it back even further to about 490 million years.  Surprisingly, this little creature has survived 5 mass extinctions in which it saw a large number of their co-inhabitants disappear.  Talk about being built to survive!

Photo by Asturnut (Wikimedia)

So lets learn a little more about the anatomy and physiology of these unique animals, shall we?  For starters, these long-living animals breathe through “book gills” which are little plates found along the abdomen of the Horseshoe Crab.  As well, they have that hard, armour plating which apparently protects them from everything.  Well, I guess that isn’t true since sharks, sea turtles, some birds and humans have been known to successfully hunt these imitation crabs.

If you are hoping to catch a glimpse of these ancient animals on your next tropical vacation then you are best to do some night diving.  Yep, the Horseshoe Crab is nocturnal.  They wait for the night to fall before they head out in search of a yummy supper consisting of sea worms, mollusks and crustaceans.  I wonder if they ever get tired of seafood?

Horseshoe Crab Fast Fact – The Horseshoe Crab uses their long, thin tail to help change their direction while swimming.  Similarly, this tail can also help flip them over if they accidentally land on their back.  As a result Horseshoe Crabs with a broken tail are more susceptible to predation and dessication.

I hope you enjoyed our 455 million year old Wild Fact.  Actually, one last little tidbit so you can actually appreciate how amazing these creatures really are.  On average, most animal species become extinct after about 10 million years. Think about that while you go about your day.  See you tomorrow.

Electron Microscope Photo of a Bee Mite (Wikicommons)

Now I know we talked about a non-furry, mammal yesterday (well I guess that isn’t entirely true since the Jumping Spider was pretty furry) but I wanted to continue that trend to today’s fact as well.  We are going to learn about another eight legged animal that is microscopic in size.  Yes, I am sure you have read the title so there is really no suspense here.  We are going to learn about Bee Mites today.  Although they are small, they have been known to cause quite a bit of damage, which I will explain in a bit.

Bee Mites are a type of parasite that depends upon the Honey Bee for survival.  Now I know the majority of my readers don’t like parasites for some reason so I won’t go into great details about their blood sucking ways.  Let’s just say that the Bee Mites will attach to the poor Honey Bee and begin feeding on their hemolymph (basically their blood).  At the same time these mites could transfer viruses such as Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) to the bee.   I am assuming you are starting to see how these mites may cause a lot of damage so I guess I will talk about it here.  A serious Bee Mite infestation could potentially cause an entire bee colony to collapse.  This usually occurs between late autumn to early spring (some would call that winter!).  Apparently it was Bee Mites that caused numerous bee colonies to collapse in North America.  Check out this CTV Article explaining the research.  Okay, so we know they can hurt our honey supplies but what else is there to know about these tiny Bee Mites?

Photo from Wikicommons

Well, they are indeed tiny as they are usually only 1-1.8 mm (0.039 – 0.07″) long.  To us they would just look like a tiny black dot that is moving.  In reality they are actually a reddish-brown parasite with 8 legs that can destroy Honey Bee populations.  I guess this is a perfect example how things are not always what they seem.   Although, Bee Mites can only reproduce in a Honey Bee colony they have also been found on other insects such as Bumble Bees, Scarab Beetles and the Flower-Fly.  So do we need to worry about these mites destroying these populations as well?  Probably not since it is assumed the Bee Mites found on these insects are simply hitching a ride.  Let this be a reminder to you that picking up hitch-hikers is dangerous!

Even I have had enough about parasites for today so I think I will end the Wild Fact here.  I hope you enjoyed our little lesson on Bee Mites and why you should never pick up strange hitch-hikers, even if they do just look like a black dot.

Have a great day folks!

It has been awhile since we have had a nice week long “theme” to Wild Facts so I figured this week would be dedicated to some of our poisonous friends around the world.  You are going to want to come back every day this week to find out which animals are deadly, especially if you are traveling soon.  We are going to start the week off with an animal that comes to mind when  you think of deadly animals.  Of course I am talking about scorpions and more specifically the Bark Scorpion.

The bark scorpion can be found in the Southern USA through Mexico and into various countries of Central America. We generally picture scorpions scurrying around in the sand, however, as their name suggests, the bark scorpion can usually be found in the trees.  They prefer to live underneath the bark of trees where it is nice and cool.  This causes problems for the people living in these areas since these scorpions tend to confuse the nice, cool spots of your home with that of trees.  Why is this a problem?  Keep reading to find out.

The venom of the bark scorpion is considered to be the most poisonous of all the scorpions in North America. If you are unfortunate enough to get stung by these little guys than you will experience extreme pain for about 24-72 hours.  For the most part, the bark scorpion is not deadly to healthy adults, however, their sting can be fatal to children, pets and people with a weak immune system.  What makes these scorpions even more troublesome is their plain, yellowish colour.  What happened to the rule that poisonous animals be brightly coloured so we know not to mess with them? If you live in an area with bark scorpions then I suggest picking up a UV LED flashlight.  I am not kidding!  The bark scorpion will glow a nice green colour under UV light.  You can actually spot them more than 50 feet away with this method.  Pretty cool, eh?

Bark Scorpion Fast Fact: Scorpions are very resilient.  In fact, researchers have frozen scorpions for weeks with no ill effects after they thawed.  Even more impressively, scorpions have been found at ground zero after a nuclear blast and again they experienced no negative effects.  I don’t know how they do it but it is pretty impressive.

Be sure to tune in for tomorrows deadly animal.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find the time last night to write up a legitimate Wild Fact.  I apologize and will be back tomorrow!  I have included a nice picture of a centipede for you though!  Aren’t I thoughtful?

APRIL FOOLS!!!   Of course I found time to write up another interesting Wild Fact for you!  We are indeed going to explore the creepy world of the Centipede!  I know, “ewwwwwwww, gross!” Sorry folks but Wild Facts can’t just be about the cute and fuzzy animals.  We have to learn to appreciate all wildlife!  So let’s move on to this leggy little arthropod!

We have all heard that centipedes have 100 legs, which in fact is not true at all! Believe it or not, centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment so the number of legs varies from 15 to 177 pairs of legs.  Don’t worry, I will do the math for you guys.  That is actually 30 to 354 individual legs so maybe they should call them “Thirtypedes” or “Three-HundredandFiftyFourpedes”.  As well, a centipede will always have an odd number of pairs of legs.  For example they will never have 16 or 20 pairs of legs. This is because their first pair of legs are actually venom bearing fangs that they use to consume their unfortunate prey! Don’t worry since the venom will not be fatal to humans although it may cause quite the sting.  Some people may be allergic to the venom like bee and wasp stings so those folks should probably head to the hospital if you are bit by a centipede.

The good news about centipedes is the fact that they are mostly nocturnal or spend the majority of their time underground.  This is great news since it means we don’t have to look at the icky arthopods.  Unless of course you are rooting through the leaf litter or rotting wood, which is another one of their favourite hang outs.

Centipede Fast Fact: Male centipedes will actually spin a small web which is used for mating purposes.  They will either stick around and perform a courtship dance or just leave and let the female centipede find the web on her own, which contains the spermatophore required for successful breeding.

I hope you enjoyed your April Fools Day Wild Fact!  Have a great day everyone!