Animal Planet

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:47 am

Well, yeah! It's all those tentacles, they make things bounce around...

Oops.

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:28 pm

Planning and worrying about the future has always been considered an exclusively human activity, but now at least one species of bird has also been found to plan for tomorrow. The finding also raises the intriguing possibility that, like humans, birds may get anxious about the future. Research published today (22 February) in the journal Nature shows that western scrub-jays are able to plan for future food shortages by caching food.

(Gives a whole new meaning to the term "bird brain", doesn't it?)

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Henry

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:44 pm

Random critter for the week:

Habronattus georgiensis

(Or, if'n ya want the name in plain English - It's some kind of jumping spider. Cute, huh?

)

Henry

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:06 am

Man's best friend lends insight into human evolution

Flexibly drawing inferences about the intentions of other individuals in order to cooperate in complex tasks is a basic part of everyday life that we humans take for granted. [...]

If you point to hidden food, dogs often grasp what you are trying to tell them.

(I dunno - I've known dogs that would just lick your finger in that situation.

)

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:11 pm

Rats Capable Of Reflecting On Mental Processes

Research shows that rats are capable of reflecting on their own mental processes; first time ever shown for a non-primate species, opens new areas of study
Athens, Ga. – Let’s say a college student enters a classroom to take a test. The student probably already has an idea how he or she will do—knowledge available before actually taking out a pencil. But do animals possess the same ability to think about what they know or don’t know?

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:22 am

A rarity among arachnids, predatory whip spiders have a sociable family life, CU researcher finds

Whip spiders, considered by many to be creepy-crawly, are giving new meaning to the term touchy-feely.

In two species of whip spiders, or amblypygids, mothers caress their young with long feelers and siblings stick together in social groups until they reach sexual maturity. This is surprising behavior for these arachnids, long-thought to be purely aggressive and anti-social, according to a Cornell researcher.

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Henry

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:03 am

Double Detection: Penn Study on Olfactory Nerve Cells Shows Why We Smell Better When We Sniff

Unlike most of our sensory systems that detect only one type of stimuli, our sense of smell works double duty, detecting both chemical and mechanical stimuli to improve how we smell, according to University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers in the March issue of Nature Neuroscience.

(Sniffing makes us smell better? Then what are deodorants for?

)

Henry

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:20 am

Snail slime substitutes

A team of engineers have set a small robot climbing walls in order to compare how natural and artificial snail slimes work. [...]
A snail's slime acts as both a glue and a lubricant, allowing the snail to crawl up walls and across ceilings without falling off. [...]

(Aren't it cute?)

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Website · Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:34 am

Just a note to let everyone know to look for a new show on Discovery called PLANET EARTH. It started last night. The footage is incredible!!!

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pl ... earth.html

Xjmt · Post by **Xjmt** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:08 pm

Of course you're aware that when The Weather Channel started to report on the environment FOX News asked the question, "Does The Weather Channel have a political agenda?" You are obviously not allowed to report on the environment without being declared a pinko liberal.

First The Weather Channel and now Discovery. It must be a conspiracy.

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:11 pm

Yeah, the nerve of them - how DARE the weather channel report on, er, well, the weather?

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:11 pm

Maybe I should get a small camera, so next time I walk past seventeen deer grazing in the clearing off Elkton road I could get pictures.

Henry

Website · Post by **brian** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:59 am

brian wrote:Just a note to let everyone know to look for a new show on Discovery called PLANET EARTH. It started last night. The footage is incredible!!!

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pl ... earth.html

PLANET EARTH is a real winner for Discovery, raking in about 8 million viewers per week, which is superb for a cable show.

Henry J · Post by **Henry J** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:22 pm

Getting dirty may lift your mood

... Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper from Bristol University, said: “These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt.”

lswot · Post by **lswot** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:32 pm

Mud pie, anyone?