Ugly Overload

Polar Predator Personality

2009-11-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

I never get to post on leopard seals. And truth be told, this video doesn't belong on Ugly Overload. But I have no other outlet, so I'll abuse this one. Besides, anything that eats penguins is a little bit ugly, right? Though, if they taste anything like chicken...

Thanks for the video, Ida. It's an amazing story.

Wolf Spider Horrors

2009-11-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to behold all sorts of wolf spider mother horrors. But to give you a taste, enjoy this video. It's gotta be hard to get mommy and all those pups still long enough for a photo.

Thanks for the link, Pete.

Junk Bug

2009-11-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Looking for a non-chemical remedy for the aphids in your garden? Look no further than the ant lion. These beasts are the larvae of green lacewings, and they are monsters when it comes to eating all sorts of garden pests, including aphids, spider mites, mealy-bugs, etc.

I imagine they cart around all that junk as camouflage. I've tried using a similar rationale to explain my own slovenly appearance, but my boss has never been sympathetic.

Photo source: Hannes Mitchell

When a Tree Falls

2009-11-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

I posted recently on the importance of whale falls to deep sea environments. Wouldn't you know it (there's a pun in there, look for it...), but tree falls have recently been discovered to serve a similar function.

These two crustaceans (a galatheid crab to the left and a squat lobster below) are but two species of deep-sea dwellers who specialize in eating trees. When a tree falls (screaming?) into the ocean and is carried out to sink into the deep sea, it turns out that there are many specialized creatures ready to dine.

Researchers, who have always had a tough time being able to properly investigate these deep environs, came up with a very clever means of discovering exactly what eats these tree falls. They created a trap with wood bait that had holes just large enough to let larval mollusks and crustaceans in, but small enough to keep then in once they had matured. Then, voila, after a year they lifted the trap to the surface and took a look inside.

Among those found are 15 species of decapod, one species of isopod and one amphipod, including hermit crabs, shrimp and galatheid crabs of the genus Munidopsis and Munida.
The squat lobster is thought to bite off small splinters of wood which it then passes through a 'gastric-mill' of strong teeth used to grind the wood down.

Pretty ingenious, eh? If aliens ever wanted to pull off a similar experiment here, they could lower a pizza-filled trap in my back yard. Then within only a few weeks I'd be too large to escape... I hope aliens don't read blogs.

Thanks for the link, Andrew.

Caught Between Lemur and Monkey

2009-11-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Tarsiers have the distinction of being an intermediate form between lemurs and monkeys. Like lemurs, they have an excellent sense of smell and are nocturnal. Like monkeys, though, their nose is dry and hairy.

(I think my toddler son falls somewhere in this category, though probably closer to lemurs. Lately he's been way too nocturnal, and his nose is very moist from a cold he's had from the past day or two.)

Why are the tarsier's eyes so large? Most likely because, though they are nocturnal, they lack the reflective membrane that most nocturnal creatures have in their eyes. Why the long fingers? All the better to wring your neck with.

Babirusa at Rest

2009-11-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

Aw, look at the little babirusa sleeping. How sweet is that? Look at the naked, wrinkled, porcine flesh as it naps in the shade. How about those elfin, bat-like ears? Oh, and those precious teeth, with the upper tusks thrusting through the flesh of the snout? Seriously, just like seeing a child who has been misbehaving all day fall asleep and you're reminded of how much you love them, so it is when you see this pig at rest.

Photo source: Marika Bell

Why do those teeth grow through the snout like that? If you talk to the natives of the small tropical Indonesian island of Sulawesi, it's because the pig likes to rest his head by hooking the tusks over low hanging tree branches (I could use tusks like that...).

Or perhaps the tusks curve back like that to protect the eyes and face from the lower, slashing tusks of rival males. Whatever the reason, take a moment and look at your own teeth in the mirror and take some consolation from the fact that no matter how gnarly they are, how much like baked beans or candy corn they may look like, not one of them has grown through your nose and is now protruding over your eye.

Simply Warthogs

2009-11-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

This scene played out in Parc National de la Pendjari, Benin. The big warthog chased around the little one for quite some time.

My first thought was that the big guy's a real jerk. Pick on someone your own size, right? But then, being a big brother, I have many memories of chasing down my young siblings because they egged me on. There's a decent chance that the little guy has it coming.

Bully? Comeuppance? In the end, they're simply warthogs.

Photo source: Jonas Van de Voorde

Cranky

2009-11-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hamadryas baboons have a complicated social life, with the silvery male (see the brute below) having upwards of ten females in his family. A group of families forms a clan, a group of clans forms a band, and several bands form a troop. To further illustrate their complexity (from Big Zoo):

Males will forcefully steal females from other bands, but will not steal from their own family. Instead, they very gradually win over a juvenile female without confrontation. Young males inherit females from their father. Thus the father's social status is passed on to his sons. Females are much smaller than males, so they are not as forceful. However, if a female does not favor her male, she will have a much higher chance of being "stolen" from her male.

Photo source: Gary Heller

The males always look cranky, especially when in full bloom like this one. It's gotta be something in the way their fur is immaculately crimped, or how it looks like someone slammed a baseball bat square on the top of their head. Or maybe it's the tubular nostrils. Regardless, I'll be staying on this side of the fence, away from both his fangs and his feces.

Logan the Fly

2009-11-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

I always thought that a fly's face looks like a baseball being pulled apart at the seams. In fact, I get so distractd by that split and those eyes and that mouth that I've failed to notice the fly's sideburns. Shame on me.

So Steve named this fly Logan (of Wolverine fame, for you non-nerds). Aptly named, though I don't Logan vomits on his food to soften it up before he slurps up the slurry. Though, if Wolverine were to combine his healing powers and adamantine skeleton with the additional mutant power of projectile acid vomiting, he'd be next to unstoppable. Though, the movies might draw a smaller crowd. That's a trade off Marvel might want to look into.

Photo source: Steve Begin

Rubbing Down Bears

2009-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what a bear looks like bald? Well, prepare to have your curiosity satisfied. The three female spectacled bears at the Leipzig Zoo are all in varying stages of baldness. No one's sure why these bears--which come from South America--and many other bears across Europe are losing their hair. They're also suffering from itchiness, so their keepers are rubbing them down with ointments to soothe their skin. How would you like that job? Rubbing down balding, cranky lady bears?

It's got to be something to do with climate or diet, and a task force of vets has been assembled to address the problem. I imagine the bear rubbers are looking forward to getting an answer and a solution sooner than later.

Thanks to Mary for the article, who got this submission past my rigorous screening process just like her little brothers, Joe and Luke. Additional thanks to Ida, Lee Ann, and Gail, all of whom sent in the same story. Great minds think alike.

Cuttlefish Looks

2009-11-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

What I love about cuttlefish is that no two shots of them are ever the same--they're so mercurial. They're considered to be among the most intelligent of invertebrates, and the Romans used their ink as a pigment, calling it sepia (guess what color the ink is).

Perhaps you've heard of cuttlebones, especially if you give them to your birds as a calcium source. Those cuttlebones provide the internal structure for the cuttlefish. They're made of porous argonite, and the mollusks manipulate the gas-to-liquid ratio within the bone's chambers to control their buoyancy.

Ever wonder how they change their appearance so well? They've got 200 specialized pigment cells per square millimeter. Those cells are a marvel of biological engineering, as are their eyes, which are among the most advanced on the planet. And their blood isn't red, it's blue-green. So much to say about the cuttlefish, and yet they only live for about two years.

Mitey Ants

2009-11-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Brian's compost heap is the scene of much ant-based drama. Here we have an ant beset by a herd of mites. Whether the mites are just along for the ride (benign phoresy) or feeding off the ant, I don't know.

Photo source: Brian Valentine

But the ants know how to take care of themselves. Here we have a pair grooming and de-miting one another. I imagine the ants have to work fast; the mites probably hop right back on if you're not quick enough -- kind of like trying to peel a toddler off your lower legs when she's got it in her mind that you've got candy she wants. Peel and run.

Photo source: Brian Valentine

Shoe Bills

2009-11-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

The shoebill is one of my favorite birds, though I've never seen one in person. They get very large, upwards of 115-150 cm (45-64 in) tall, with a wingspan of 230-260 cm (91-125 in).

I imagine that bill can do some damage, given that it's used to scoop up and devour small crocodiles. They're even reported to feed on young calves. They were known to ancient Arabs, who called them abu markub, meaning father with a shoe. They've even been spotted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

That shoe bill, which is indeed the size of an adult human shoe, is not only used in devastating attacks, but can be filled with water, which the mother uses to dowse her young in the nest. I'm not sure why she'd do that. But then, if I could fill my mouth with a couple of pints of water, I'd probably dowse all sorts of people--the kids, my wife, coworkers, passersby... I wouldn't have many friends.

Nightmare Composed

2009-11-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Photo source: Afri

Scale me down to the size of one of the spider's pedipalps and insert me into this scene, and you've composed my worst nightmare (well, monster-oriented nightmare).

Thanks, Alan. You've ruined another night's sleep.

Libersat

2009-11-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

This is really great news for cockroaches in the French Polynesian islands. We finally have a cure for you zombie cockroaches! That's right, get the word out.

If you're a roach and you've been stung by a jewel wasp with the intent of zombifying you so she can drag you off to feed you live to her young, you're not necessarily finished. No, all you need is an injection of Libersat (a mimic of the neurotransmitter octopamine), and you can be revived.

Kind of like those of us humans who have to carry around an epinephrine injection to ward off anaphylaxis, I suggest you roaches start carting around Libersat. It just might save your life.

Thanks for the link, Moneca.

In The Mop Bucket

2009-10-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

Terri encountered this spider in her mop bucket. Now, it takes little provocation for me to walk away from a mopping job. But this? I could legitimately get away with not mopping the kitchen floor for a month, since my wife is understanding when it comes to my arachnophobia. It might almost be worth the encounter...

Anyone know what kind of spider this is? The mop bucket in question is in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Is it a huntsman?

Thanks for the photo, Terri. That penny was awful brave for getting so close to the spider.

Cure for Cancer?

2009-10-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for an significant length of time, then you know of my near reverence for the naked mole-rat. For one, they're hairless rodents -- instant launch to the top of any ugly animal list. But beyond that, they've got some amazing characteristics.

They are the only mammals that are cold-blooded (they maintain their body heat by cuddling and staying underground), are hive-minded (like ants), and are able to enlarge their spine (the queen does, when she ascends the throne). Additionally, their teeth grow outside their lips, so they can keep their mouths closed when they burrow with their teeth. They're known to be incredibly gregarious and curious.

Photo source: Popular Science

But there's something else about them that has scientists reeling: they're immune to cancer. Us vertebrates have a gene called p27 which serves as our main defense against cancer. But cancers have found ways to circumvent p27, thereby allowing the cancerous cells to proliferate themselves. But naked mole-rats are unique in that they have an additional gene called p16, which stops cancers cold, by preventing the affected cells from replicating themselves.

Is it possible that future humans will be sporting the naked mole-rate p16 in their own DNA? Perhaps the world will become a better place, with us becoming more gregarious. But then we might also become cold-blooded troglodytes that are prone to burrowing and shunning that bright orb hanging in the sky...

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Gratuitous Gators and Crocs

2009-10-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

I thought you all could use a gratuitous spread of crocodiles and alligators. Whether you consider them 'living fossils,' the bane of Captain Hook, or a platform from which to launch a dazzling TV career, these creatures might one day offer up profound medical advances (how do these oft-wounded swamp dwellers heal so well?).

Until then, they'll continue to be objects of conservation and curiosity, nuisances on Floridian golf courses, and the inspiration for myriad logos and mascots. And, of course, the stuff of nightmares.

Mama Got Sac

2009-10-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

When Lisa unlocked her door to help her husband inside she was greeted with the lovely lady below. How do I, an office monkey with meager biological training, know it's a wolf spider? Because I've been posting on uglies for nearly four years now.

I can tell by the fact that she's carrying her egg sac (that silken orb) by her spinnerets, which behavior is unique to wolf spiders. In just a short while the spiderlings inside will burst forth and commit another behavior unique to wolf spiders: the bearing of the young on the mother's back.

There are many varieties of wolf spiders, and they're found pretty much everywhere. If you're reading this blog, you're almost guaranteed to have one lurking nearby. That being said, not all wolf spiders are equal. Some are large, some are small. Some are avid hunters, some simply lie in wait.

I am aware on at least a weekly basis of the fact that I live in a part of the world (the Sacramento Valley) that doesn't boast of any local spider species that get any larger than a quarter. That fact is one of my chief blessings in life. Some of you might be able to disprove that fact, in case I'm wrong. And if I am wrong, I am very, very happy in my ignorance and misinformation. I don't need to know otherwise.

Thanks for the photo, Lisa. You'll have a whole little wolf spider pack lurking about your house next year.

Of Shear Force and Shingles

2009-10-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

What good is a sea urchin without spines? Well, I'll tell you.

Here you've got the Indo Pacific Shingle (or Helmet) Urchin (Colobocentrotus atratus). According to Echinoblog (great site, folks), they are found in rocky intertidal areas of the South and Central Pacific. What benefit does having a helmet-shaped body serve this sea urchin? Turns out that their native waters can flow at high rates, and their shape offsets the effects of shear force.

But the true power of this little beast is seen only when you upend one. Take a look at those tube feet (especially in the last photo). They enable the shingle urchin to withstand water flows of a couple magnitudes greater than your spiny urchine. Those spines won't do you much good if you're swept away with the current, Mr. Spiny Urchin. Nope, best to keep a low profile, like Mr. Shingle Urchin.

Thanks for the uchin, Jelo.

Jellynose Fish

2009-10-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

This fish is a real charmer. He was discovered dead off the coast of Brazil. He's a deep-sea jellynose fish (Ateleopodidae).

This fish has a scaleless, tapered body and is around six foot in length (I might describe my own body this way). Not much is known about them (as is the case with most deep-sea life), but it's believed that they scavenge along the ocean floor and eat whatever they suck up. My infant son has similar eating habits. When mommy isn't looking, I let him loose beneath the dining table after dinner. Once he's done, I don't have to sweep.

Thanks for the article, Leslie.

Mating Mollusks

2009-10-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

All you children should turn away. Parents, send them from the room. Clicking this video will give you a David Attenborough narration of leopard slugs mating. And it's graphic! Whew, the camera doesn't miss a moment. It's almost...artistic. There's an awful lot of bending and twisting and sliding. And slime. Oodles of slime.

Thanks, Moneca.

To Defoliate an Automobile

2009-10-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

What do you do if you're an ermine moth larvae and you and your horde have run out of trees to defoliate? If you're in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, you turn to automobiles.

This is the scene the Dutch woke up to one late Spring day. They immediately thought they were under siege by a giant spider. They were relieved to find that they had instead been descended upon by caterpillars. The webbing is meant to protect the caterpillars while they feast and then pupate.

Sidenote: Much to my relief, no cars were defoliated in the making of these webs.

Thanks for the link, Mike.

Photo source: NGM Blog Central

Harvestmen Fights

2009-10-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I assumed that a battle between two harvestmen would be a true battle royale. A real rumble, with legs flapping, mouth parts flashing, and chitin flying. But no, when Steve took this photo of two harvestmen locked in arachnid combat, he noted that it was fairly anticlimactic. It consisted of nothing more than a 10-minute slap-fest involving their pedipalps. When at last the proverbial dust had settled, the one on the right gave up in frustration (having been held at bay by the larger one on the left) and walked away, neither one appearing to have received the least bit of harm.

But Steve wonders if this may have been part of a mating ritual. Anyone know? If so, we may need to teach them a thing or two about courtship and respect.

Thanks for the photo, Steve.

The Worst Worm Ever

2009-10-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin with this worm. I guess I'll start with the tame stuff...

It's a large predatory species, Eunice aphroditois, that can get as large as three meters long, though most specimens measure in at around one meter. It's actually one of the largest worms on the planet. They haunt the rubble zones around coral reefs in the Indo Pacific, coming out at night in search of live fish.

Photo source: Practical Fishkeeping

So, why my hesitance in posting on this worm? I'll start with its common name: the Bobbit worm. The females of the species eat the ... uh, the ... um. The man parts ... the man bits of the male worm and feed it to their offspring.

I have no idea why they do this. I have a hard time even wanting to know why. Is it for the nutritional value? Does it trigger hormonal changes in the male? Is it needed to complete the act which leads to the very offspring that eat the ... ugh. I can't even say it.

If ever there was an appropriate curse for adulterous men, it would be to die and come back as one of these creatures.

Thanks for the article, Lisa. I, for one, am reminded of how good it is to be a human being.