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.