We left the devilish exhibit, and the next stop was the mundane butterfly room.  Or at least it was mundane, until one landed on the back of my neck.  Now, I knew it was a room full of only butterflies, but I also knew with equal certainty that the foot long centipede had followed me and was now in the process of eating me.  I made a rather hasty (and apparently, humorous) exit.

     So that is what bugs and things that look like them do to me.  Allow me to share a bit of the heebie jeebies with you.

House Centipede

We’ll start with this creepy little bastard, because you might very well see this one in your home.  The first time I saw one, it was about two inches long and I thought the gates of hell had opened up.

Giant Centipede

While we’re on the subject, how would you like to wake up with one of these guys on ya?

Gaint African Millipede

And then there is the millipede.  As a pet?  Never in life.

The Roach

Normal roaches are nasty enough, but imagine a herd of these.  Whenever I see stuff like this, I flinch for hours at the slightest tickle…

Rhinocerous Beetle

I can comfortably say that if I saw one of these, I would get my gun and shoot it.  Repeatedly.

Cthulthu Larva (Abyssmal Sea Slug)

Animals like this make me glad I’m neatly tucked away in Wisconsin; no where near the damn ocean.  Doesn’t look harmful, exactly, but on the creepy scale it’s a 10.

Coffin Fish

Tell me this doesn’t remind you of the little ones in Aliens.

Giant Isopod

Yeah, they’re like 2 feet long.  The Flea from hell.

Say cheese!  In fourth place I’d put this Bruce the Shark (Finding Nemo) impersonator. 

The 14 ft long white shark was snapped in the waters off the coastal Mexican resort of Guadalupe.  The fearless photographer maintains that he wasn’t in any danger – he apparently had a “100% safety record” and went on to say that great whites aren’t as ferocious as they’re made out in the Jaws movies.  I’ll take his word for that but don’t think I’ll take up shark photography myself!

In third place is this polar bear giving his rendition of I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.

Polar bears are found mainly in the Arctic circle and are the world’s largest carnivore species found on land. They’re also the largest of the bear species.  Unfortunately these beautiful creatures are classified as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with 5 of the 19 sub populations in decline due to hunting and climate change.

In second place is this talented lion. 

The picture was taken by a tourist who was travelling in the car behind.  The victims were enjoying the view when the 300lb lion walked calmly across, firmly took the rear door handle with his teeth and pulled it open in one deft movement.

Apparently it took several seconds for the dire situation to sink into the car’s occupants but eventually they hit the accelerator and ran for the hills!  The lion followed on until the enclosure gates were reached where a warden hurled stones to encourage it to go back.  A spokesman from the Safari Park in Johannesburg said that even if the lion had got into the car, it was unlikely to attack the occupants as all the animals are well fed.  All very well for you to say mate, but think of the muddy paws and the amount of fur a thing that size would leave in your vehicle!!!  It’s bad enough with a dog; but a lion??

Now this has to be my winner. 

David Schultz, the photographer, had been taking regular visits from a helicopter base camp to the main emperor penguin rookery in Antarctica over some time to film them and had obviously piqued their curiosity.  Eventually it all became too much for them so they ventured towards David to have a closer look.  David backed away from his camera to see what they did and, to his amazement one of the three looked through the view finder while the other two posed!  Fortunately David had another camera so he was able to take this remarkable picture.

Like squirrels, chipmunks are frequently considered pests. Like all rodents they carry disease and in fact may be more common carriers of rabies than dogs, cats, or squirrels. If they somehow get into your home from the wild they can do a great deal of damage. 

Most of us think of chipmunks as mostly seed and grain eaters, but they are omnivorous and in addition to seed and grain will eat bird’s eggs, fungi, small frogs, worms and insects. But they are hoard animals as well, stashing grain and seed over winter months. They live in burrows that can be up to 3.5 meters in length, usually with several “secret” or hidden entrances. Interesting to note is that chipmunks also have different rooms in their burrows which have different functions. For example, their sleeping area is separate from their pantry, and their bathroom is separate from both of those. It makes one wonder if this arrangement was part of the inspiration for the cartoon chipmunks, Chip and Dale.

One interesting fact about the blue color of the Blue Jay’s feather is that the brilliant hue does not come from pigmentation, but rather the structure of the feather itself. If you were to crush the feather, the blue would disappear. Something else a lot of folks don’t realize about the Blue Jay is that they also mimic sounds, from the barks and meows of cats and dogs, to the bird calls of other species, to human speech. One of the smartest birds, they have been observed to be capable of planning ahead, watching humans plant seeds, then waiting for the humans to leave, then swooping in to dig up the seeds.

The decorative crest on top of the Blue Jays head can be a barometer for their mood. If the crest is fully raised, the bird is feeling excited or agressive, it is usuallt flat against the head when the bird is in a comfortable state, such as when eating with its mate. Blue Jays, surprisingly, mate for life. Mating season for Jays last from mid march into July and it takes 17-21 days for a brood of eggs, generally 4-5 in number, to incubate. The baby Jays stay with Mom and Dad Jay until the end of fall, when the family disperses. This is done to avoid competition over sources of food.

Crows steal from back yards, picnic areas, and even enter open windows of homes and cars when a shiny object catches their eye.  They will take glasses, watches, jewelry, spoons, loose change, and anything else that provokes curiosity.  Sometimes they hide their new found treasures in the crotch of trees, in the branches of evergreens, or they will carry them to the nest for safe keeping.

This sea gull has never been reprimanded for his insubordination in fact customers are willing to foot the bill for this sea gull’s daytime capers.

This fashion conscious monkey would rather look cool than eat peanuts with his friends.

The Ostrich is known for stealing buttons from clothing, hair barrettes, glasses, ribbons, jewelry, and just about anything they can snatch that isn’t securely nailed down.  

 The fox is a playful critter who loves toys.  He will run off with things like kid’s toys, pet toys, baby bottles, plastic dishes, shoes, gloves, and even the clothes of the line.

 Squirrels are amusing and their back yard antics never cease to amaze me.  Their lives are a constant struggle for survival which means they must get what they need by any means possible.

This magpie is living proof that you don’t have to have teeth to have a sweet tooth.

When it comes to fishing the Eagle is a master.   

This raccoon was caught in the act but made a clean getaway.  He is still at large.

The most commonly known echinoderm is the starfish but the starfish which is the star of the show here is a bit of a rarity – instead of the usual five limbs he has eight!

Because starfish have the ability to regenerate their arms with considerable ease and rapidity, it’s not unheard of for six limbed ones to turn up on the shore every now and again, but eight is phenomenal.

Stan, as he’s been named, was caught off the coast of Cornwall in a local fisherman’s crab pot and was promptly delivered to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay for their opinion.

Following a thorough medical examination by a marine biologist from Plymouth, it was thought that Stan (as he’s now been named!)’ probably hadn’t just ‘regrown’ his arms but had in fact been born that way.  A normal starfish has a central disc which is basically the equivalent of the human body - it has it’s ‘brain’, mouth, stomach, water pump … in essence it’s the the main core of it’s essential organs.  But Stan is the equivalent of Siamese twins!  He has two discs fused together in a figure of 8 shape.

Thankfully Stan was given a clean bill of health and at a hefty 10 inches in diameter he’s quite a big boy compared to his other friends at the aquarium, but his size and extra arms are quite an asset to him – he’s able to grab food at a greater rate than other diners who only have five arms and are of limited stature!

Stan is a spiny starfish which family are readily found in British waters, and the name derives from the lines of spines that run along each of his arms.  He feeds on a variety of things; fish, shellfish, molluscs and other starfish and, like his close relatives, he doesn’t care whether they’re alive or dead!.  He would normally live on a rocky seabed at around a depth of 600 ft

Stan’s being well looked after at his new home and is quite a celebrity!  Let’s hope the other occupants in the tank don’t have an attack of the ‘green eyed monsters’ – I can just imagine an aquarium full of starfish having a good old bout of jealousy based fisticuffs!!!  One mass of entangled arms – just like a game of Twister!!

• There are far fewer black rats in the UK than brown rats. They prefer to be around ports and this is why they are commonly referred to as ‘Ship Rats’.
• Black rats were the ones that carried the flea that was responsible for the bubonic plague.
• In the wild, they dwell in trees and are excellent climbers.
• They usually weigh approximately 225 grams but they have longer tails than brown rats.
• Although they eat different types of plant and animal matters, they prefer to eat grain.
• The female can produce up to 6 litters a year, each of around 8 young rats. Within a coupl of months the young are breeding for themselves. To put it another way, within a year it could be possible for one pair of black rats to produce a million descendants in just one year.

• The track mark of the black rat is similar to that of the brown rat but the tailmark is conspicuous.

Brown Rats: (Rattus norvegicus)

• Brown rats cat be found wherever there are humans. They are the type that is bred as pets and used in medical research.
• They are the most common animal in the UK.
• They are bigger than the black rat and an adult weighs roughly 400 grams. Average body length is 25cm although they can grow to be as long as 40cm (not including the tail, which on average is 19cm long)
• The brown rat is a nocturnal animal, although scarcity of food may lead it to come out during the day.
• They prefer to be outdoors and are more likely to infest around a building rather than inside it.
• Although they can create their own burrows they are just as happy to use man-made ones (eg: sewers) to get around.
• They are not fussy eaters and will eat whatever food they can find.
• They live in extended family groups that usually have only one dominant male.
• The track left behind by a brown rat is distinct. It is small, four-fingered front feet and long heel impressions. The tail mark is always visible.

Image via Wikipedia

Let’s deal with the ‘helluva hopper’ first.  This sporty looking little grasshopper it seems flew all the way from India to England but decided that, rather than waste his energy ‘paddling his own canoe’, he’d come over First Class and stowed away on a plane, eventually landing at England’s Stansted Airport.

He was identified by the UK’s Food & Environment Research Agency as a Painted Grasshopper but his more formal title is Poeklocerus Pictus.  He’s about 6 cm long and, as you can see from his mug shot, he’s blue and yellow. 

However, he’s a bit of a ‘Mr Creosote’ (Monty Python fans will know exactly what I’m talking about!) and gorges himself on vegetables.  Our little friend above was swiftly swept away from Stansted to serve time in quarantine and immediately managed to chomp his way through a cabbage.  According to Chris Malumphy who is an entomologist at the FERA , in proportion to their size, grasshoppers eat around eight times faster than cattle.

For those of you here in the UK who are worried that this mighty muncher or his family might deprive you of your Brussels sprouts on Christmas Day, don’t panic … FERA have said that if there are more members of the Munch Bunch among us, they’re unlikely to survive our climate, unlike in it’s native land of India where it’s reported to decimate food plants such as aubergines, citrus fruits, potatoes and tomatoes.

Now we come to our eight legged beasties.

A new breed of giant spider has been discovered by a group of US and Slovenian researchers (from the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History) in Africa and Madagascar.  The spider is of the Golden Orb Weaver species and the female has an inch and half long body with a leg span of five inches.  Needless to say, the web is equally impressive and can stretch to a width of more than three feet.  In comparison, the males have a leg span of just one inch.

This latest discovery from the Nephila family and called Nephila Komaci was thought to be extinct but Jonathan Coddington from Smithsonian said that a pal of his from South Africa found a male and two females in the Tembe Elephant Park in Africa.  Having visited Mr Nephila and his small harem, the researchers carried out some tests and have now confirmed it’s the largest Orb Weaver known and is a newly identified species.  However, Mr Coddington has said this possibly endangered species isn’t out of the woods yet as its only definite habitat appears to be a sand forest in this elephant park and its range is restricted - it lies within two endangered biodiversity areas  (Maputaland and Madagascar).

This new variety was named after one of the researchers’ friends – Andrej Komac who sadly died in an accident during the discovery process.

And my final little beastie, although he may look a bit scary, is a New Age/Hippy (depending on your age!) spider and is a veggie!!!

He’s quite a rarity – as far as we know, he’s the first vegetarian spider (1 in 40,000) and eats leaf tips filled with nectar rather than insects.

This jumping spider (known as Bagheera Kiplingi) lives in Central America and takes nectar-filled tips of acacia bushes (known as Beltian bodies).  But fret ye not … these bushes are unlikely to be razed to the ground as they’re closely guarded by a variety of ant against other herbivores so very few vegetarians get the chance to nip in there for a swift snack.  It’s thought that our Jumping Jack Flash uses his excellent eyesight, speed and cunning to get past the ants and steal the acacia tips – an advantage over other herbivores.  But scientists are also of a mind that the spiders may have the knack of imitating the ants’ chemical scent.

The spiders are predominantly vegetarian in Mexico but have been known to pick up the odd ant larvae in Costa Rica and just to take this tree-hugging hippy idea one step (or eight) further, the male spider is very much a ‘New Age man’ – it’s thought he helps to look after the eggs and care for the children (presumably while wifey’s pursuing her 9-5 job ‘in the City’!!!)

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The little monkey comes from the rain forest canopies of South America, where its tiny size lets it reach food in the highest and most brittle branches.  They are omnivorous, mostly eating fruit and insects, but occasionally will eat frogs, eggs, and small lizards.

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They also have special incisors they use for gouging at tree bark for sap.  It spends about two thirds of its time harvesting the gummy tree sap.

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Twins are common among these tiny little primates.

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There are two subspecies of the Pygmy Marmoset, Cebuella Pygmaea Pygmaea and Cebuella Pygmaea Niveiventris.   The difference between the two is mostly coloring.

Image Credit

Luckily, these little guys are not endangered, but their habitat is shrinking.

It remains an area needing much investigation, especially with regard to why animals display such behaviour. It’s been suggested by experts that the phenomenon could be occurring on a far larger scale than is currently suspected, but that people failing to document incidences in the past – because of adverse reaction from the public, or in particular, certain religious groups – may have resulted in a cover-up of the facts. Whatever the truth is, it’s a truly fascinating topic, and opens the door to many questions about sexuality and the nature of sexual attraction.

Image via Wikipedia

The findings have already led to claims homosexuality must be entirely natural, as apposed to sinful, as claimed by most Christians – so the idea may well be ruffling some feathers in certain religious circles. These religious folk may argue that we are not animals, but humans, which is why there is a difference in which type of behaviour is acceptable for each of us. (Or they may claim these animals are also sinners and will burn in Hell for their homosexual relations – if you don’t believe me, read the comments below the article.) However, considering we share 98% of our DNA with a chimpanzee, 80% with an earth-worm, and 60% with a banana, I think it’s safe to say we’re a part of the natural world, and that this behaviour is a natural part of our sexuality.

Some documented incidences of homosexuality in the animal kingdom:

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Approximately 25% of black swans are estimated to be in same-sex partnerships, with two males often stealing the nest and eggs of a female, or even joining a nesting female in a threesome and later evicting her and raising her young.

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In an experiment to discern whether homosexual pairs of male penguins in a German zoo were partaking in such relationships out of choice, or by necessity as the result of lack of females, the zoologists removed one male form each pair and replaced it with an imported female – only to find that there were no successful matings as a consequence. The males were thought to be suffering from depression as a result of missing their male partners, and the females were removed and males re-united with their mates, after public protests by Gay Rights activists in Germany.

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Male dolphins sometimes participate in homosexual group-sex (or gay orgies!), and are the only species known to engage in nasal sex – using their blow-holes in acts of male on male penetration.  They also rub each other with their bodies, snouts, and flippers – meaning they are almost certainly engaging in sex for pleasure, rather than reproduction. Read more about the sexual activities of dolphins HERE.

It’s been reported that nine in ten pairings, for mating, between giraffes are male on male partnerships. They have full intercourse and even experience orgasm.

Image via Wikipedia

American Bison are known to have taken part in penetrative (anal) sex, and the Lakota Indians even have a special name for trans-gender or bisexual Bison, which translates as Two-Spirit Bison.

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The Bonobo ape, a fully bisexual species, is the animal recorded as displaying the highest levels of homosexual or bisexual behaviour, with 60% of sexual relationships taking place between two or more females (yes, folks – that’s a lesbian threesome!). All great apes display high rates of homosexual behaviour.

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Elephants also display homosexual behaviour, with males often forming close, long-term relationships with younger male elephants, in which sexual activity plays a large part (depending on the age of these ‘young’ males, this might just be bordering on the perverse…). In captivity, elephants spend around 45% of the time in which they are engaged in sexual activity with those of the same sex, regardless of gender.

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A study showed that between 20% and 80% of sexual relationships formed by eleven species of male dragonflies were with other males.

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Research into the homosexual behaviour of sheep and fruit flies has led to scientists claiming a genetic factor is involved, thereby stating homosexuality must be determined at birth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RlTAyNI8WE

You may also be interested in the following:

Not So Cute: Dolphin Gang-Rape