November 16, 2016

Did you know that maggots can live in your mouth? Myiasis is a condition in which fly larvae infest and feed on the tissue of a living host. I thought this condition would only happen when there was broken skin, but apparently the mouth works too. When someone sleeps with their mouth open, the flies can be attracted to the smell of their breath. However this is more applicable in tropical areas where oral hygiene isn't important. Other risk factors include dental extractions and infections. Eeps!

November 14, 2016

Did you know that carnations are not only perfect for Mother's Day, but as a snack too? Yup! You can eat carnations. They are said to have a peppery, spicy taste. You can add them to a salad, place them in wine, or even candy them for desserts. Yum!

November 12, 2016

Did you know that there are spiders that look like the black widow? The false black widow spider is smaller and a bit paler in color than its cousin, the black widow. They are quite common in the United Kingdom and do bite humans, but only when humans disturb them. Are those bites deadly? Not really. There is swelling and pain, but the symptoms are less severe than those associated with the black widow's bite. What's so awesome about these little guys? Some of them eat the BLACK WIDOW!

November 11, 2016

Did you know that the stoat is capable of killing prey much larger than itself? The stoat looks like a large weasel with a black tip on its tail. During the winter, its fur changes from a light brown to a majestic white. As cute as it is, this little guy isn't a picky eater. It has been caught grabbing baby birds from nests and hunting down rabbits a lot bigger than itself. The stoat is known to "surplus kill" where it kills more prey than it can eat so it can store the leftovers for later.

October 4, 2016

Did you know that the tailless whip scorpion is pretty harmless? Although called a scorpion (and sometimes a spider), the tailless whip scorpion is actually an amblypigid. An amblypigid is still considered an arachnid, but it uses it's front two legs as feelers. In addition to those two front feelers, there are six long walking legs and thorny pedipalps that give the scorpion it's threatening appearance. But no worries, the scorpion produces no venom or toxins. It can bite but would prefer not to. Even if you did get bitten, it would be as if you got pricked by a thorn.

October 3, 2016

Did you know that the "Big Lick" walk, prized in horse show competitions, can be the result of soring? Some owners and trainers like to show off their horses' high kick trots. However to make the movement more exaggerated, some trainers resort to soring. This process involves exposing the sensitive tissue around the horse's feet to pressure and having them stand on platform shoes (stacks) embedded with nails for extra weight. Some trainers also rub diesel or kerosene around the ankles, and then tie weights around them. As a result, the horse kicks its feet up high when it walks.

September 13, 2016

Did you know that any female bee larvae can become queen? In fact, the selection process is pretty random. When it comes time to choosing a new ruler for the hive, worker bees select several female larvae and provide them with large amounts of royal jelly. Future drones and worker bees are only given a small amount of royal jelly. They are fed the secretion as it's produced. However the future queen bees are bathed in it and their royal jelly contains royalactin. The royalactin turns on the genes that will have the larvae develop into a fertile females.