Monday, August 5, 2013

Which living creature has the largest number of legs?

Millipede has the most number of legs.  Here are some interesting facts about Millipedes.

  1. Some millipedes have over 700 legs.
  2. Millipedes are plant eaters - they survive on decaying plant material. 
  3. Millipedes are not poisonous but some species can cause allergic reaction for some people. 
  4. They can live up to 6 years
  5. They are born with only a few pairs of legs and keep adding more legs as they molt and grow



Sources
http://www.livescience.com/24765-750-leg-millipede-leggiest-animal.html
http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=6198

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Batesian mimicry

There are many different strategies used by species to protect themselves from predators. Mimicry is one of these techniques used by species to protect themselves. One such form of mimicry in species is called the Batesian mimicry.   There are other types of mimicry as well that we will get into in later posts. 

Batesian mimicry is the process using which a harmless species looks or behaves like a species that is harmful.  For example in the picture below, the two snakes look alike however one of them is poisonous and other one is not. The Scarlet king snake has evolved to look like the venomous snake as it would help confuse potential predators and offer it some protection.





This form of mimicry is also seen in other species including butterflies and other amphibians. One such mimicry in butterflies is seen in the picture below.  Monarch butterflies(bottom one in the picture) have a nasty taste to protect themselves from predators like birds.  Viceroy butterflies(top one in the picture) have evolved to look like monarch butterflies as that offers them protection against predators.


Sunday, June 2, 2013

Where do spiders lay their eggs?

Spiders lay their eggs in a sac that is either stored in their web or carried by the female(picture below).  A female spider guards the web that contains the eggs.  A spider depending on the size can lay anywhere from 1or 2 to a few thousand.  Spiderlings (young spiders) disperse as soon as the eggs hatch.

























References:
1. http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/spiders.html