Weird Animals and Animal Traits

Moose are known killers in the automobile world. I don't think littlek owns a car, maybe never has. Prolly never seen a moose either. There are websites dedicated to people killed/maimed by moose crossing roadways. Google it if you don't believe me.

Moose are tasty. And by the way, the woman driving that car in the picture I posted - escaped with minor injuries but in serious need of a shower.

I own a car, have for years and I've seen a moose (while driving a car). I went to college in NH, where moose migrate to mate. So, piss off.

Sorry then, no hard feelings I hope. Watch out for them meese.

No hard feelings. I don't see them so much anymore, not venturing much north of Boston, but I hope to some day - along side of the road, not in it.

For the record, the husband of a coworker is a big game hunter, and while returning from a hunt, encountered a moose. Not only did they hit the moose, but they were almost killed trying to avoid it, in a huge truck pulling a fifth wheel. Truck was totalled.

Moose are huge, fairly slow, and long legged enough to come through the windshield of even fairly tall SUV's. Nothing against 'em, but the last thing you want along a long stretch of highway is a moose population explosion.

Never honk at a moose either. They will chase your vehicle and attack.

The most common garden earthworm, the nightcrawler (lumbricus terristris) is not native to North America and was in fact brought,over in potted plants by Europeans. Most of the native North American earthworms were killed during the last Ice Age 10 to 15 thousand years ago. This is one case of where the accidental introduction of a foreign species has been beneficial.

There are areas in Alberta where no earthworms live. No species have managed to migrated back in to the territories yet.

Ceiti: If you haven't done so already, go to the third post on page one of this thread to see what is a serious potential threat to earthworms, at least in the southern states. It's an alien invader, the land planarian, and it has a voracious appetite for earthworms. I don't remember if it's cold-tolerant, but it ranges in New Zealand, which has cold weather, part of it anyway.

Saw that post coluber. The page cited was unsure.
It gets down to -35... and it very dry, it would probably take a millenia for something that slug like to survive here.

Above left and right—Bipalium kewense attacking earthworms.



Dolichoplana striata

These two species of land planaria have invaded the U.S. They are native to Indochina and are most adaptable to warm climates; however, they are able to tolerate freezing temperatures so long as they have shelter, under boards, etc. They have been found in greenhouses as far north as Massachusetts.

Two more species that have invaded England and Ireland reportably have the ability to rid entire farms of earthworms.

More information: http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm

I just saw the picture of the dead moose that went through the windshield. What a sad picture!

Now this one's funny. It begs a caption. Anyone?

Dormant bald-faced hornet nest taken from tree.


Bald-faced hornet. Also called white-faced hornet. Bald, in this case, may refer to the white face rather than an absense of setae or hair that is profuse on the rest of the body.

Bald-faced hornet—Dolichovespula maculata. Food: insects, expecially various flies. Considered beneficial though the hornets will attack those too close to the nest.

Only the queen survives the winter. She builds a small nest and produces sterile females who take over all the work of building the main nest and rearing the young. The nest consists of several tiers of combs with an outside covering and entrance hole. The nest is used only for one season, and it is safe to remove it during the winter.

wow!!!!!
this is a great thread!
Im bumping it, in hopes people will post more on it

Thanks, shewolfnm. Although Portal Star started this thread, I sort of took it over. I also started another similar thread, "More Weird Animals and Animal Traits" that you might be interested in. I've just updated it, and it is in the "Science & Math" forum and contains many more pictures and good information.

ros-

What's wierd about them.

Surely they are all perfectly evolved under the exigencies of natural selection and are thus absolutely normal.

Thinking they are "wierd" suggests you are not fully up to speed on evolution and may have an unconscious religious streak. Or maybe you like making girls peep through their fingers.

This thread wouldn't get anywhere if we played by those rules



Ha, very funny Maybe all those discussions with the religious kooks are getting to me. I'm being drawn to the dark side....



Huh?

Never mind. I don't even want to know what you're thinking with that.

Rosborne: I'm guessing that the picture you posted on Monday is a sea spider, a chelicerate. Am I right?

The title of the thread is "weird" though it might have more appropriately used the adjective "awesome" in which case all animals would qualify without question. But if you really want to get pedantic, I suppose any animal is weird depending on how old you are when you see it. If you're two years old everything on Earth is weird.

Correct. A Sea Spider. A very cool animal