Golden Orb Silk Weaver Spider

  The golden silk weaver orb spider (or golden orb spider) known as Nephila, evolved about 165 million years ago.  Fossils of the golden orb are the largest recorded fossils of a spider and it was around 15cm.  Today the average female has the leg span of about 5cm (2 inches), while the male is only two thirds her size.  These spiders have been known to live through out the world in warmer climates, and in Taiwan they are known to reach around 5 1/2 inches.   A large specimen was photographed eating a small finch in Queensland Australia. They get their name from the golden silk they weave.

Caecilians

  Caecilians are a limbless amphibian with the ability to live on both land and in water.  Even though they look like a harmless earthworm these creatures have a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.  Young caecilians feed on their mother after they hatch, but this behavior doesn't harm the mother.  Mother caecilians build up a thick hide before their babies hatch for this very purpose.  They live off a diet of insects and small animals.  Caecilians live in South and Central America as well as Africa and parts of Asia.

The Worlds Smallest Snake

The worlds smallest snake was found on the Caribbean island of Barbados by scientist Blair Hedges .  Adults average around 10cm and are as thin as a spaghetti noodle.   Hedges also found the smallest frog and smallest lizard in the Caribbean.  The snake was found in a small patch of forest and even though it was discovered only a few years ago Hedge said to Science Daily that it might already be in danger.

Iceberg the White Orca

The secant known white killer was sighted of the East coast of Russia, on April 23.  The mature male orca was named Iceberg.  Scientists are fighting to make his habitat a wildlife refuge.  Over fishing and drilling in the area has put the animals at risk.  The only other known white orca was captured in 1970 it was a two year old female and she died at four years old, from a rare immune system disorder.  Iceberg seems healthy though and scientists will continue to study him and other killer whales in the area.

Lion's Mane Jellyfish

  The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest jelly fish in the world.  It lives in the cold waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans.  The largest documented specimen was found in 1870 and had a diameter of over seven feet.   They have tentacles that can be over a hundred feet long.  The lion's mane jellyfish is venomous and can be dangerous, mostly because of the volume of the stings verses the potency of the venom.  A sting from the Lion's mane can cause cramping, hart failure, and blistering.

Winter Warmth

  This is the forth warmest winter recorded in our country, but this nice weather could be bad news for farmers.  The nice weather experienced this year has caused early crop growth which means crops are vulnerable to frost damage.  Scientists speculate that the nice weather is because of extreme climate change, and if changes aren't made we can expect this erratic weather to only get worse.  Along with the warmer weather we are vulnerable to more storms and possibly more tornadoes.

Bosavi Woolly Rat

In a valcanic crater in the jungle of  Papua New Guinea a new species of rat was discovered.  The large species of rat has no natural fear of humans and has is about the size of a cat.  The rat weighs about 3lbs and is around 32 inches long. It was discovered during the filming of "Lost Land of the Volcano".   Woolly Rats have wavy brown and gray hair.

Smallest Monkey in the World

  Pygmy Marmosets are smallest monkey in world.  The small monkey is 13 inches from tail to head, and live in in large family groups.  Pygmy Marmosets live in south America along rivers in the Amazon.  Pygmy Marmosets eat spiders and fruit, but most of their diet consists of sap and gum from the trees where they gouge out the bark.  Pygmy Marmosets reach puberty at about 12 months and are fully grown at two years old.

Tissue Building Protiens

The analogous protien in fruit flies, that plays a role in building wings during development, may also exist in humans.  Biologists at Brown University speculate that this protien can help sientists better understand what goes wrong during the development of humans.  In the future sientists hope this research could help them develope better methods in treating human mutation.

Deepsea Coral are Slow to Recover

  It has been two years sense the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but the ocean is still recovering.  Marine biologists sent a deep sea submersible sevral 1000 feet below the surface to examine the damage caused by the oil spill.  They found that deep sea coral (such as Paramuricea) just 11 kilometers from where the spill happened had lost tissue, and were covered in a brown material.  Because the Paramurica grows at three centimeters a year it could take decades for it to recover.  Scientists say the full effect of the spill on deepsea life is still unknown.

Scientists aim to make lab mice more comfortable

Scientists have recently discovered that lab mice are uncomfortable in their cages as most of them are cold do the bleak environment.  The mice are stressed as a result, which makes them a less than a perfect specimen.  Stress can change the physiology in an animal's body compromising its health.  Now lab mice will be provided with nesting material, which researchers say it might not be just for warmth but comfort.

Living Fossil and Possibly Mythical Animal

     The frilled shark is an ancient and illusive species of deep sea shark, it gets its name from the ruffly gills that surround its face.  This serpentine shark lives in depths around 5,000 feet accept in Suruga Bay, Japan where it lives in depths between 160-600 feet.  Encounters with this shark are seldom and it was believed to be extinct  until it was rediscovered in the late 1800s.  Although it's known to live in waters throughout the world the frilled shark has been spotted mostly in Japan, in which similarities between this shark and the traditional Japanese dragon are more than uncanny.  Cryptozoologists speculate that the frilled shark is responsible for some of the sea serpent legends, but it just as easily could have even been the inspiration for the mythical serpentine dragon of the Orient.  It's also known as the dragon shark because of it's resemblance to a dragon.  The frilled shark gets up to about six feet long, and has rows of tiny teeth that run into the back of its mouth. They feed mostly on squid, fish and other sharks.  Although no one has seen them eat, they are believed to feed by lunging at its prey like a snake where they swallow it whole.

Kiss of Death

  While you slumber a parasitic bug could be creeping up to feed on your face, and what it leaves behind is potentially fatal.  The kissing bug is only found in the Americas and live in two thirds of the southern United Sates, they get their name because they feed on the faces of its sleeping host.  Some of these bugs carry a parasite called Trypanosoma Cruzi, that can cause a disease called Chagas Disease.  Chagas Disiese is an illness that causes fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, it's easy to cure but it can cause deadly intestinal and cardiac complications  A resent study reveals that the number of bugs that feed on people is higher then expected with five out of the 13 bugs collected throughout the southern United Sates had fed on a person and five of them were also infected. None of the ones that had fed on people were infected, and the chances of getting Chagas Disease is rare but not unheard of.  It's possible to protect yourself from these night prowlers, make sure your house is in good repair and rat free for the bugs main food source is the pack rat. Reduce outside lighting at night, and wash your bedding weekly if you suspect having them for they lay their eggs near their food source.

Tackling an old Irish Legend

   As the old Irish legend goes St. Patrick chased all of the snakes into the sea using his staff and banished them from Ireland forever.  In the spirit  of St. Patrick's Day we will take a look into the actual reason as to why there are no snakes in Ireland.  Early snakes evolved about 100 million years ago and were small, slender and lived on the southern supercontinent Gondwanaland which consisted of some of the continents we know today such as South America, Australia, India, Africa and Antarctica.   Ireland wasn't even an island at this time.  At about 25 million years ago the snakes we know of today evolved.  Ireland had never been connected to the supercontinent.  Aside from being surrounded by water, Ireland's terrain is rocky and the weather is too cold year round, making the environment unpleasant for the cold blooded creatures.

Warm Winter Brings a Microscopic Killer.

    Better stock up on bug spray this summer and avoid swampy areas as scientists anticipate a rise in mosquito born illnesses.  A warmer winter usually means more mosquitoes, but with a one of the warmest winters seen in Minn the risk of mosquito born illnesses is a very real problem for this summer.  The first generation of mosquitoes to hatch during the summer begin to feed on birds and as population grows in mid summer mosquitoes shift their feeding to mammals.  Cold winters often delay this shift because the weather kills off more larva during the winter, but with such warm weather the population should be booming.   Making the shift from bird to mammal early in the spring or summer.  This early shift could very easily increase the risk of the mosquito born illness such as eastern equine encephalitis which kills 30% of its victims, leaving most survivors with brain damage.  While the disease is uncommon it affects both horses and people.  There have been three recorded cases in MN history.

Holly Leaping Roaches!

 Convergent Evolution which means to acquire the the same biological traits as an unrelated species, is responsible for the leaproach.  The leaproach was recently discovered in South Africa it's a third of an inch long, but  it can jump 50 times its own body length.  Making it one of the best jumpers out there, it can not only jump far, but with incredible speed and accuracy. It looks like a cross between a roach and a grass hopper.  This insect can jump twice as far as a grass hopper, and shares the same habitat. 

Image taken from a Youtube video of the leaproach jumping.

Dust Devils in Space

NASA recently photographed a dust devil on Mars.  The alien twister is about 100 feet wide and a half a mile long.  With one of the largest tornado's record on Earth estimated to be over a mile wide, it makes this Martian twister look rather small in comparison, although dust devils are different then tornadoes.  Dust devils are powered by solar heating when the ground this creates upward movement creating a dust devil.  They tend to happen in the desert, and lack the same destructive power as a tornado.

Giant Penguin Fossils Finally Come to Life

  After being discover over 30 years ago the New Zealand four foot fossilized penguin (which is called Kairuku)  has finally been assembled.  It took scientists many years to assemble this bird due to its unusual physic, scientists had to use the skeletons of  modern day penguins as a guide.  The newly assembled bird reveals long flippers, a lean body, and a sleek elegant head.  The giant penguin lived about 25-26 million years ago during the Paleogene Period.  The giant bird was discovered by a paleontologist from the University of Otago Dr. Ewan Fordyce.  Kairuku is the largest fossilized penguin species discovered in New Zealand; which used to be a popular location for penguins 26 million years ago. 

Giant Coconut Crab

  Images of the giant coconut crab have been circulating on the internet lately, but what most people don't realize is that this crab is closely related to the common hermit crab.  The juveniles use shells to protect their abdomen, but unlike the hermit crab they outgrow their shells permanently once their abdomens harden.  The giant coconut crab is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world with a three foot leg diameter and weighing around 9bls.  It gets its name because of its ability to crack a coconut open with its claws.  They are omnivores and live on the islands in the indo-pacific region, where they are lovingly referred to by the locals as palm thief do their scavenger tendencies.