What do Tom Brady and the average wanna be sports fan have in common?
❌ Both own multiple mansions across the country
❌ Both have more Super Bowl wins than any other player
❌ Both follow a strict plant based diet along with a rigorous exercise regimen
✔ Both wear a jersey with "BRADY" printed on the back.
In the world of insects, most predators have got the memo that honey bees and wasps should be avoided for dinner because of their painful stings.
The way that predators identify something as dangerous or not is by observing the color patterns on the body of their potential prey. Conspicuous colors which helps humans attract friends at the holiday party helps other animals avoid predators.
As an example, if you see an insect with punchy high contrast colors like red and black or yellow and black, keep your distance. You see this is a loophole some insects will exploit like the hoverfly.
The Hoverfly is commonly found "hovering" in any patch of wildflowers and will mimic the colors of the honey bee or paper wasps to ward off predators even though it lacks any sting. In addition, they will also make buzzing sounds like bumble bees if they are handled.
Here is a one Oblique Stripetail acting fidgety when I ask to see her Honey Bee academy Id. "Put Your hands where I can see them", I said.
In nature there are two kinds of mimicries. One is Batesian Mimicry and the other is Müllerian Mimicry. Predators who do not get their eyes checked on a regular basis can't tell the difference between the two hence their prey gets to live another day.
Batesian mimicry is when someone wears a sports jersey without ever having played American football outside their PS4. In this example the hoverfly depicts Batesian mimicry because it is all smoke and no fire.
Müllerian mimicry is when someone who plays American football as a profession wears a sports jersey. In this example, the honey bee or a paper wasp depicts müllerian mimicry because it can sting when attacked.
Here is the Oblique Stripetail hoverfly hovering near a Coyote Brush flower.
What do you think is the most common animal in the San Francisco Bay Area?
The answers will vary from Humans if you ask someone getting frustrated with the housing market, Chihuahuas if you ask dog lovers, Coyotes if you ask the fear mongering Nextdoor poster, Ants if you ask a bug nut.
Turns out the correct answer is valid not only for the Bay Area but the entire planet.
The answers will vary from Humans if you ask someone getting frustrated with the housing market, Chihuahuas if you ask dog lovers, Coyotes if you ask the fear mongering Nextdoor poster, Ants if you ask a bug nut.
Turns out the correct answer is valid not only for the Bay Area but the entire planet.
This animal is not something visible to our naked eyes, hence we do not often think about them. It is estimated that it comprises 80% of all animal population, the rest 20% has all insects, birds, reptiles and mammals combined.
Nematodes or Roundworms are one of the most diverse organisms on the planet living in every habitat you can think of including human bodies. Wait! What was the tingle I feel in my stomach, is that a....nevermind it was my upset stomach because of the Pizza Hut dinner. One reason it allows them to thrive is that they have a varied diet ranging from a 100% plant based diet, to a 100% carnivorous diet or even a diet on other nematodes(Sounds so human like).
Below is a nematode who mixes its morning espresso shot with a dab of Cocaine and Red Bull.
Now you might be quick to judge that this nematode is a terrible dancer. You see, it is not not by choice, evolution has a role to play in it.
Nematodes are simple organisms which means they don't have a TiKToK account, heck they don't even have color screens on their phones and also don't have a stomach.
Hence it eats its food through the mouth and in order to make it reach the intestines, it has to do their weird dance so it pushes the food down.
While the food is travelling through its body, enzymes are released from either sides which absorb nutrients before the remaining waste is expelled from the back.
Think of a car wash which has a shiny car entering on one side and 4 wheels along with a steering wheel one emerging from the other side.
Below is the head of the nematode followed by the tail.
Nematodes are simple organisms which means they don't have a TiKToK account, heck they don't even have color screens on their phones and also don't have a stomach.
Hence it eats its food through the mouth and in order to make it reach the intestines, it has to do their weird dance so it pushes the food down.
While the food is travelling through its body, enzymes are released from either sides which absorb nutrients before the remaining waste is expelled from the back.
Think of a car wash which has a shiny car entering on one side and 4 wheels along with a steering wheel one emerging from the other side.
Below is the head of the nematode followed by the tail.
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