Animal Q&A

[Enmos]

Post your questions about any creature from the Kingdom Anamalia (Animals) here and I (and hopefully others) will try to answer it.
Below is the severely stripped down taxonomy of Anamalia. I left only the most well known groups (for practicality).

Ask a question:
- Keep your question confined to earth-based animals in their natural environment.
- Do not ask questions about human biology.
- I'd be happy to ID any animals you photographed. I probably will just google it, but heh..
- Oh what the heck.. throw in any mushroom questions as well.

Answer a question:
- Keep it mainstream.
- Do not mention God or any other paranormal stuff.
- No pseudoscience.
- Include links and pictures where possible and desirable as an addition to your answer.

I realize this thread will probably flop, but if doesn't it will be great
Ok, ask away !

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Kindom Animalia (Animals)
...Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
......Subphylum Chelicerata
.........Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
............Order Aranea (Spiders)
............Order Opiliones (Daddy Longlegs, Harvestmen)
............Order Scorpiones (Scorpions)
......Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans)
.........Class Malacostraca
............Order Decapoda (Crayfish, Crabs, Lobsters, Prawns, Shrimp)
......Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
.........Class Insecta (Insects)
............Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
............Order Diptera (True Flies, Mosquitoes, Gnats)
............Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
............Order Hemiptera (True Bugs)
............Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps, Sawflies)
............Order Isoptera (Termites)
............Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Moths)
............Order Odonata (Damselflies, Dragonflies)
............Order Orthoptera (Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids, Locusts)
............Order Siphonaptera (Fleas)
...Phylum Chordata (Chordates)
......Subphylum Vertebrata (Vertebrates)
.........Class Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)
.........Class Amphibia (Amphibians)
............Order Anura (Frog, Toads)
............Order Caudata (Salamanders)
.........Class Aves (Birds)
............Order Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
............Order Apodiformes (Hummingbirds, Swifts)
............Order Ciconiiformes (Storks, Herons, Egrets, Ibises, Spoonbills)
............Order Columbiformes (Doves, Pigeons)
............Order Cuculiformes (Cuckoos)
............Order Galliformes (Fowls)
............Order Passeriformes (Perching Birds)
............Order Piciformes (Woodpeckers)
............Order Psittaciformes (Parrots)
............Order Strigiformes (Owls, Goatsuckers)
............Order Struthioniformes (Ostriches, Emus)
.........Class Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
............Order Elasmobranchii (Sharks, Rays)
.........Class Mammalia (Mammals)
............Order Monotremata (Egg-laying mammals)
............Order Didelphimorphia (Marsupials)
............Order Artiodactyla (Cloven-hoofed Ungulates)
............Order Carnivora (Carnivores)
............Order Cetacea (Marine Mammals)
............Order Chiroptera (Bats)
............Order Lagomorpha (Hares, Rabbits)
............Order Perissodactyla (Odd-toed Ungulates)
............Order Primates (Primates)
............Order Proboscidea (Elephants)
............Order Rodentia (Rodents)
.........Class Reptilia (Reptiles)
............Order Crocodilia (Crocodilians)
............Order Squamata (Snakes, Lizards)
............Order Testudines (Turtles, Tortoises)
...Phylum Mollusca (Molluscs)
.........Class Bivalvia (Clams)
.........Class Cephalopoda (Octopuses, Squid, Cuttlefish)
.........Class Gastropoda (Slugs, Snails)

 

[cosmictraveler]

Why do some animals go extinct while other get protection from humans?:shrug:

 

[Blue_UK]

I have not heard of sawflies (Hymenoptera), but I like bees, ants and wasps so what the hell; so please tell me something interesting about that group of species.

 

[Enmos]

Why do some animals go extinct while other get protection from humans?:shrug:

Yay questions ! lol

You mean why do people protect some animals and ignore others, or even try to exterminate them ?

Firstly, people are trying to shape their environment as much as they can and, coincidentally, that involves most of the surface area of earth. So people will protect or even breed any species that is beneficial while trying to exterminate 'harmful' (to agriculture for example) species.

Secondly, there are so-called keystone species. From Wikipedia:

"A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species affect many other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine the types and numbers of various others species in a community.

Such an organism plays a role in its ecosystem that is analogous to the role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone feels the least pressure of any of the stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it. Similarly, an ecosystem may experience a dramatic shift if a keystone species is removed, even though that species was a small part of the ecosystem by measures of biomass or productivity. It has become a very popular concept in conservation biology."

And lastly, the 'cuteness' of a species may have an effect on peoples willingness to protect it.

 

[Enmos]

I have not heard of sawflies (Hymenoptera), but I like bees, ants and wasps so what the hell; so please tell me something interesting about that group of species.

Kindom Animalia (Animals)
...Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
......Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
.........Class Insecta (Insects)
............Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps, Sawflies)
...............Suborder Symphyta (Sawflies)

Rhogogaster viridis

Sawflies are the most primitive members of the Hymenoptera and Wasps, Bees and Ants evolved from one of it's groups. Most are phytophagous (meaning they are herbivores), but there is one family within the Symphyta that is parasitic (Orussidae).
The larvae resemble caterpillars.

Berberis Sawfly (Arge berberidis) larvae

The name 'Sawflies' is derived from the shape of the ovipositor, which is shaped like a serrated saw blade.
In some members of the Apocrita (Wasps, Bees and Ants) this ovipositor has evolved into a stinger.

Sawfly ovipositor

Any specific questions ?

 

[alexb123]

There is some kind of an animal living in my house, any ideas what it is? It's small, furry and has four legs and eats cat food?

 

[Enmos]

There is some kind of an animal living in my house, any ideas what it is? It's small, furry and has four legs and eats cat food?

It's most likely a Domestic Cat (Felis catus), like this one:

Although coat coloration differs greatly.

 

[cosmictraveler]

A keystone species

How do they determine what a keystone species actually is? Say that a small guppy was a first part of the food chain but it fed off of even smaller aquatic life but larger fish ate them which in turn we eat those larger fish. Which of these fish would be a keystone species? How then do you protect one without needing to also help save the rest?

 

[synthesizer-patel]

How do they determine what a keystone species actually is? Say that a small guppy was a first part of the food chain but it fed off of even smaller aquatic life but larger fish ate them which in turn we eat those larger fish. Which of these fish would be a keystone species? How then do you protect one without needing to also help save the rest?

Usually it happens after the ecosystem collapses and we have "Oh shit!" moment.

Without careful study of an ecosystem its difficult to tell where and what the keystone species are - often they are the apex predators.

Example - in NZ (I think) fishermen began shark fishing to supply the lucrative far eastern market for shark fin - within a couple of years the shark populations were fished out, shortly afterwards the crab, lobster, crayfish and shellfish populations collapsed.

reason? the shark's main food was octopus - without any check on octo populations they bred without check and wiped out their main food source.

Overfishing is also a common cause of explosions of jellyfish populations - for similar reasons

 

[Enmos]

Usually it happens after the ecosystem collapses and we have "Oh shit!" moment.

Without careful study of an ecosystem its difficult to tell where and what the keystone species are - often they are the apex predators.

Example - in NZ (I think) fishermen began shark fishing to supply the lucrative far eastern market for shark fin - within a couple of years the shark populations were fished out, shortly afterwards the crab, lobster, crayfish and shellfish populations collapsed.

reason? the shark's main food was octopus - without any check on octo populations they bred without check and wiped out their main food source.

Overfishing is also a common cause of explosions of jellyfish populations - for similar reasons

Thanks Synth, great explanation

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

It's most likely a Domestic Cat (Felis cattus). . . . Although coat coloration differs greatly.

DNA analysis recently discovered that the domestic cat is actually a population of Felis sylvestris lybicus, the Lybian variety of the wildcat that followed the rodents into the ancient Egyptian granaries.

 

[Enmos]

DNA analysis recently discovered that the domestic cat is actually a population of Felis sylvestris lybicus, the Lybian variety of the wildcat that followed the rodents into the ancient Egyptian granaries.

Ah.. hmm.. I read that somewhere before. Thanks for correcting me

 

[cosmictraveler]

Without careful study of an ecosystem its difficult to tell where and what the keystone species are

But isn't all life somehow dependant upon the life just beneath itself in order to sustain a normal ecosystem where it lives?

 

[EmmZ]

I saw a huge spider in my house last night.

He was enormous. It was just a common house spider (North England). I heard on the grapevine they have the deadliest poison but because they can't bite through human flesh we're safe. Can you tell me if that's true? Also, is it likely it was a pregnant female due to it's size?

 

[synthesizer-patel]

But isn't all life somehow dependant upon the life just beneath itself in order to sustain a normal ecosystem where it lives?

In some cases yes - but there are no hard and fast rules - It depends on the ecosystem.
For example while corals are the main primary producers in a coral reef system, in cases where corals have died out en masse - such as the coral bleaching events in the maldives in the 90's, the ecosystem has not been drastically effected as other primary producers - mostly algaes that grew on the coral and fast-growing soft corals - moved in to fill the niche very quickly.
While the overall species assemblages did change slightly to accomodate this change at the bottom of the food chain - overall biomass and diversity wasn't greatly affected.

In contrast, antarctic food chains are very short - phytoplankton is eaten by zooplankton (krill) which is then eaten by pretty much everything from fish to marine mammals - therefore anything that disturbs primary production or krill abundance has a very direct effect upon the very top of the food chain in pretty short order.

 

[cosmictraveler]

Thx!

 

[Enmos]

I saw a huge spider in my house last night.

He was enormous. It was just a common house spider (North England). I heard on the grapevine they have the deadliest poison but because they can't bite through human flesh we're safe. Can you tell me if that's true? Also, is it likely it was a pregnant female due to it's size?

Probably the European House Spider (Tegenaria domestica) or any closely related species. Most certainly the spider is a member of the family Agelenidae (Funnel Web Spiders).

Tegenaria domestica

I searched the web a bit and I no where found any reference as to it's supposed toxicity to humans.
Wikipedia says it's bite is unpleasant but the spider is not toxic to humans.
So far the only member of the family that is said to be poisonous that I know of is the Hobo Spider (Tegenaria agrestis), but this is disputed.

"Although these spiders are encountered in and around human-made tructures, there are no reports of adverse reactions to their bites."
http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/Spider/barnFunnelWeavers.htm

"Investigations of aggressive house spider bites show the venom produces skin injuries, or lesions, similar to those produced by the brown recluse. Therefore, ulcerating lesions of this type occurring on humans in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are probably due to bites by the aggressive house spider. Surprisingly, males are somewhat more venomous than females."
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1548/eb1548.html

"Tegenaria agrestis, also called Hobo spider or aggressive house spider, has a bad reputation. First the misinterpretation of its name; the Latin name agrestis actually means “rural” for the hobo spider's native habitat. It is a strange fact that this species, which was introduced around 1900 AD from Europe in the
North Western part of the USA does not give rise to any medical attention in Europe. The spiders bite can penetrate the skin but it feels like the prick of a small needle. If there are reactions they are very mild.
Binford found no difference in venom composition between the European and
American species. Tegenaria agrestis in the USA is most probably as harmless as the Tegenaria agrestis wandering in Europe and the possibility that it is the culprit in any incident can be neglected."
The demystification of the toxicity of spiders

Tegenaria agrestis

"Conclusion
- Tegenaria spiders can bite. The bite feels like a mild prick and the wound may be red for an hour.
- Tegenaria (hobo) spiders are harmless."
The demystification of the toxicity of spiders

Edit: It could be that the spider was pregnant, but I have no way of knowing for sure without seeing it's picture.

 

[EmmZ]

I was thinking of Daddy long legs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones

Venomous myth

An urban legend claims that the harvestman is the most venomous animal in the world, but its fangs are too small to bite a human and therefore is not dangerous. (The same myth applies to the cellar spider, which is also called a daddy longlegs)[8]. This is untrue on several counts. None of the known species have venom glands or fangs, instead having chelicerae.[9] The size of its mouth varies by species, but even those with relatively large jaws hardly ever bite humans or other large creatures, even in self-defense. The few known cases of actual bites did not involve envenomation, and had no lasting effect.[10]

Silly me. Thanks for the answers Enmos

 

[Enmos]

I was thinking of Daddy long legs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones

Silly me. Thanks for the answers Enmos

*Groan*


lol

 

[shorty_37]

Why does a dog that has been neutered, still hump your leg sometimes?
He was neutered 2 yrs ago.