Did you know most snails and slugs have teeth, thousands of them? Their teeth come in a huge variety of shapes and arrangements, suiting them to specific diets and allowing many species to evolve and co-exist. Why do slugs and snails need teeth? Herbivorous seaslugs have teeth shaped into serrated triangles or sharp blades to […]
Tag: snails
“Faced with a rugby scrum of suitors, females have little choice over who to mate with.” Here’s why these weird frogs suddenly turn blue
In the world of amphibians, sexual dichromatism, where one sex appears a different colour, is an unusual phenomenon. Dichromatism can be further split into ‘ontogenetic’, where the sexes remain different colours, and ‘dynamic’, where the colour change occurs temporarily – something considered rare as hen’s teeth among anurans. Fighting this froggy trend to a spectacular […]
10 real-life zombies: These deadly brain-hijacking parasites can create suicidal rats, pulsating snails, dancing fish – and can even infect humans
It might sound like a horror film, but did you know that zombie parasites not only infect – they also use mind control to kill their hosts. Aoife Glass takes a look at some the world’s most horrific zombie parasites… Zombies are a popular trope in film and tv, but there are real-world parasites that […]
1,329 Rare Snails Once Believed Extinct Reintroduced to Island off Morocco
More than 1,300 critically endangered land snails have been released in the Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands) archipelago off the Moroccan coast. The reintroduction of the tiny molluscs to their native habitat followed the rescue of two obscure species of the snail from the edge of extinction, reported The Guardian. The snails hadn’t been recorded for […]
Slugs and Snails Thrive in the City
Urbanization poses a significant challenge to native wildlife, with many species struggling to adapt to the drastic habitat changes and Pollution that come with city life. However, a recent study published in PLOS ONE reveals a surprising exception: slugs and snails may prefer urban environments in Los Angeles. This study, led by Joseph Curti from […]
Overlook Park, 2/21/2013
Yesterday morning I drove up to Overlook Park. It’s about 15 minutes from my house, and I check it out regularly to see what ducks may be out on Lake Jesup. It’s a very small park, so I never expect to find much, but yesterday morning was very enjoyable. A Great Blue Heron was begging […]
Insoluble Mucilage – Australian Glow-Worms
While the slimy presence of the Australian glow-wormArachnocampa flavamay not be on everyones fascinating list of things to observe in the tropics at night. It is fascinating to know, that the natural entrapment by its blue green emitting light, encircled by the sticky crystal like dew drops, proves to be deadly to nocturnal flying insects. […]