Wildlife things you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask

[nightshade]

Bug Club - Amateur Entomologists' Society
LCES - Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society
Want to learn more about Insects what ever your age these links supplied by
Imaginos and Speckled Wood (and hijacked by me)thanks guys

[badgerwatcher]

My dear old dog Bonzo, now sadly several dogs ago, used to eat comfrey in his arthritic old age, eventually eating the plant down to the ground. He also, on an occasion when he had a kidney infection, sought out and ate pellitory-of-the-wall, and on another occasion ate elm leaves when he had a gastric upset. These are the only herbal remedies I knew about and spotted him eating. How did he know? Or was I imagining it? I have not observed this behaviour in other dogs I've had. He led me to my interest in herbal medicine.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Bug Club - Amateur Entomologists' Society
LCES - Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society
Want to learn more about Insects what ever your age these links supplied by
Imaginos and Speckled Wood (and hijacked by me)thanks guys

No problem, I'll expect my commission by return of post

[Paul mabbott]

Most areas have a natural history society (usually with entomologists although some seem to be mainly birdies) or even an entomological group. For instance:
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Entomological Society Derby and Notts
www.lnhs.org.uk London
Essex Field Club Essex
The Sorby Natural History Society, Sheffield South Yorks, N Derbys &c.

These all organise regular field trips and evening meetings - some just general rambles, other concentrating on particular groups of organisms.
Certainly young people or any newcomers to natural history/entomology are welcome.

Originally Posted by nightshade

Bug Club - Amateur Entomologists' Society
LCES - Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society
Want to learn more about Insects what ever your age these links supplied by
Imaginos and Speckled Wood (and hijacked by me)thanks guys

[RogerTheCat]

Originally Posted by henrya

chocolate is toxic to dogs. (Some would say it's not good for humans but hey, I like to live dangerously!)

henrya

I never knew that. Is it all chocolate?

[ollyk]

Originally Posted by wildfire

Regarding Crane Fly; it is an urban legend that about the posion thing, as it is with all species which are generically named 'daddy long legs'. The term daddy long legs referres to three totally different species. The crane fly and harvestmen, which have no poison and the Pholcid spiders which have very weak venom. I'm not sure about the most poisonous bite/sting though.
m

Are the Pholcid spiders the ones that are not really native to this country - the ones that live in houses and rapidly move when disturbed?

Also I thought the common house spider had quite a potent venom??!

[Rainbowmum]

My 7 year old asked me today if a cheetah was the fastest creature on the earth. I said I think not but I know they are fast. I know a peregrine when diving gets some speed up but not the exact figure.
Does anyone know the answer to this? I know I could ask on the Wild Earth forums but I thought I'd ask here first.
If my kids ask me a question I see it as my duty ('specially as I home-ed) to search out the answer Thanks in advance x
Louise

[Deer Stalker]

Think the Cheetah is the fastest land mammal & the Perigrine is the fastest bird. They showed a program on the Perigrine a few weeks ago & clocked it at about 205 mph in a stoop I think.
Dunno how fast the Cheetah can run but certainly not that fast.

[Susie]

I did a quick google Cheetah | Fastest land animal

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

Think the Cheetah is the fastest land mammal & the Perigrine is the fastest bird. They showed a program on the Perigrine a few weeks ago & clocked it at about 205 mph in a stoop I think.
Dunno how fast the Cheetah can run but certainly not that fast.

the fastest a cheetah has been reliably recorded at was 72.4mph

in case anyone is interested the fastest maritime creature is the Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus recorded at 68.18 mph

while the fastest marine mammal is the blue whale at just over 30mph

[Rainbowmum]

Thanks guys, I shall tell her all those options then.....fill her mind with facts lol

[Paul mabbott]

Can't quote figures but I recall that many insects are faster from a standing start - fleas, hoppers &c - they're not great on long-distance though ....

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

My 7 year old asked me today if a cheetah was the fastest creature on the earth. I said I think not but I know they are fast. I know a peregrine when diving gets some speed up but not the exact figure. Louise

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Can't quote figures but I recall that many insects are faster from a standing start - fleas, hoppers &c - they're not great on long-distance though ....

although at one time it was claimed that the deer botfly was capable of supersonic speeds , this turns out to be an urban (or rather rural ) myth , the fastest flying insect reliably recorded is the australian dragonfly at 36mph,

However this is contested by the university of florida who say that they have recorded the black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) at speeds of between 97 and 113 km/h (60-70 mph). They also say that Australian tiger beetles, genus Cicindela, subgenus Rivacindela, (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are the fastest running insects known. The fastest, Cicindela hudsoni, can run 2.5 meters per second (5.6 miles per hour).

Am I alone in thinking that these people might have rather too much time on their hands

edit: also the fastest insect movement is recorded as being the mandibles of the trap jaw ant which move at 145mph, this gem courtesy of the california academy of sciences

[Rainbowmum]

Originally Posted by eeyore

although at one time it was claimed that the deer botfly was capable of supersonic speeds , this turns out to be an urban (or rather rural ) myth , the fastest flying insect reliably recorded is the australian dragonfly at 36mph,

However this is contested by the university of florida who say that they have recorded the black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) at speeds of between 97 and 113 km/h (60-70 mph). They also say that Australian tiger beetles, genus Cicindela, subgenus Rivacindela, (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are the fastest running insects known. The fastest, Cicindela hudsoni, can run 2.5 meters per second (5.6 miles per hour). Am I alone in thinking that these people might have rather too much time on their hands

Hmmmm probably...but you KNOW all this too

[Susie]

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

Hmmmm probably...but you KNOW all this too

PMPL!

The fastest crustacean is the snail when it is launched into space from my back garden. Teehee.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

Hmmmm probably...but you KNOW all this too

i used the power of google to find it out - admittedly the fact that I have been on wab allday does tend to undermine my argument, I probably needto get out more too

btw i found this which you might like to get for your daughter World Almanac for Kids

[Susie]

Okies, my turn to ask questions. Is it true that ...

A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to
death?

The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to
its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off?

The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds?
(What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)

Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump?

A cat's urine glows under a black light?


An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain?
(I know some people like that.)


Starfish have no brains?
(I know some people like that too.)

Polar bears are left-handed?

[ollyk]

Originally Posted by Susie

Okies, my turn to ask questions. Is it true that ...
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to
its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off?

No, the female may start eating the male during sex, probably dependant on her last meal. She generally starts eating from the head. The male has a second brain dedicated to mating in it's tail so will carry on mating with her if it is 'unlucky'

[Rainbowmum]

Originally Posted by ollyk

The male has a second brain dedicated to mating

Surely this applies to humans too

[Susie]

I thought most males think with their ...... ok, I will leave it there

[kaitkaitkait]

Originally Posted by Susie

I thought most males think with their ...... ok, I will leave it there

~snicker~

Actually, on a not entirely unrelated note... does anyone know why decapitated chickens will continue to run around for a while? ~has always been curious~