The Ark In Space

How Spiders Escaped the Pakistani Floods

Sunday, 30 June 2019

When the floods hit Pakistan in 2010 the first thing that many people did was to head for higher ground. So too did countless millions of animals, among them spiders. To escape the rapidly rising waters the spiders did the sensible thing and climbed up trees.

The flood waters took quite a while to recede. The result was that the temporary arachnid shelter became semi-permanent – and a spider has to do what a spider has to do...

The Burrowing Owl – The Smallest Species of Owl

Saturday, 29 June 2019

There are a number of things which separate the burrowing owl from other species. The first clue is in the name. Another is that they are the smallest species of owl on the planet and more often or not they do not weight more than half a pound in weight and reach around ten inches in height. They also come out in the day time, unlike most other owls.

Image Credit Flickr User kevincole

Image Credit Flickr User Kevincole

That is not a snake that the adult burrowing owl is feeding to its chick. It's a caterpillar - which goes to show just how small they are. They are also much more relaxed around humans than other species of owls. They will happily colonize areas like airports and golf courses and have even been known to nest in larger gardens. As long as there are open areas and a good water supply they seem to be content to live near us.

The Ant With a Door for a Head

Sunday, 9 June 2019

Image Credit Wikipedia Commons

Cephalotes is a broad genus of ants. They are heavily armored – it makes you wonder just how formidable they would look if we were the same size. The amazing thing about many of them is the head – used to plug a gap as it were. Above is an ant of the species Cephalotes varians.

Image Credit Wikimedia Commons

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