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2023-04-15 09:31:01 What an amazing tongue (glossa) bumblebees have! Their hairy tongue is adapted to get soaked with as much liquid as possible every time that they dip it into a liquid such as nectar.⁠

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2023-04-14 18:31:35 Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species.⁠
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Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats or crossing long gaps. Both their book lungs and tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems (bimodal breathing). Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes, with the anterior median pair being particularly large.⁠
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This one is a Phidippus nikites, a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. They are found in the United States and Mexico.⁠

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2023-04-14 13:31:14 Have you ever wondered why pears have such a gritty texture compared to other fruits? ⁠
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That’s because they possess stone cells, also called sclereids, very shiny structures that look like small rocks.⁠
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The purpose of stone cells is to support the soft tissues of the pear! These soft tissues are formed by parenchyma cells that look like bubbles and are filled with water and nutrients which make the pear very juicy. Stone cells are basically parenchyma cells that had major lignin deposition in their cell walls. Lignin is the main component of wood and is super important for terrestrial plants because it provides structural support, enabling planes to grow upward. Lignin fibers can’t be digested by humans but can be digested by the microbes present in the digestive tracts of ruminants! So you’re probably not digesting most of the stone cells.⁠
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Stone cells can be found in small clusters or alone and their quantity depends on the pear variety.⁠

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2023-04-14 09:31:08 The stomach is a J-shaped organ that digests food. It produces enzymes (substances that create chemical reactions) and acids (digestive juices). This mix of enzymes and digestive juices breaks down food so it can pass to your small intestine.⁠
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Your stomach is part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract is a long tube that starts at your mouth. It runs to your anus, where stool (poop) leaves your body. The GI tract is a key part of your digestive system.⁠

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2023-04-13 18:31:07 Wait, that's not a caterpillar?? 

These 9 European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) had us fooled on a frosty May morning with their colorful feathers blending together to create the ultimate caterpillar illusion!

These social birds are named for their diet, mainly bees, wasps, and other flying insects. While nesting, both the male and female of this species take turns incubating their eggs while the other forages for food. 

This stunning photo won the Adult Category of the Wild Wonders of Europe photo competition in 2011, and it's certainly easy to see why 

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2023-04-13 13:30:49 Meet the Mantis Shrimp! These fascinating creatures are known for their incredible eyesight and powerful punch.
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Did you know?
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Mantis shrimp have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom, with 16 color-receptive cones compared to our 3.
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They have a unique way of communicating with each other through colors, and can even change their own colors to signal their mood or intentions.
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Mantis shrimp have been known to break through aquarium glass with their punch, so they’re not recommended as pets.

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2023-04-13 09:30:49 Did you know that an adult elephant has to consume roughly 70,000 calories every day?

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2023-04-12 18:31:16 Clashing of Horns

Fighting for dominance or mating rights, bighorn males face each other, rear up on their hind legs, and hurl themselves at each other in charges of some 20 miles an hour. The resounding clash of horns can be heard echoing through the mountains as the confrontation is repeated, sometimes for many hours, until one ram submits and walks away. The animal’s thick, bony skull usually prevents serious injury.

A bighorn ram’s horns can weigh 30 pounds—more than all the bones in his body combined. Females (ewes) also have horns, but they are of smaller size.

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2023-04-12 13:31:26 Living fossils

This is not live footage from Mars, it’s one of 12 species of triops found on planet Earth.

Triops have been in existence for 300 million years, making them the oldest living creatures that we know of on this Earth. They were around 100 million years before the last super continent broke apart, hence why they’re found on every continent except Antarctica.

And speaking of Mars, they can survive in outerspace for 18 months (as proven by tests on the International Space Station).

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2023-04-12 09:31:06 We all probably get a little creeped out by ticks. Some wishing they didn’t exist. But, why are ticks an important part of an ecosystem?

These tiny pests aren’t without importance. 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.

Humans who think about diseases are often trying to prevent or cure them. Like ticks, however, disease serves an important role. 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 wouldn’t have become ill and died.

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