Do you think socially learned cultural behavior is unique to humans? NO…you’re wrong. A study revealed that our good old ancestors-Chimpanzees show cultural differences.
A team of international scientists did a research on chimpanzees behavior and found that chimps build their ‘cultures’ just like that of humans. Although it is confirmed that behavioral differences between colonies of chimpanzees are due to genetic variability, the variety is mainly due to migration of apes to other places.
Can you believe that a bull-sized mouse roamed in this world four million years ago? Yes… Scientists discovered a fossil of 1-1.4 tonnes weight in a broken bolder on the coast of Rio de La Plata in Uruguay.
The scientists of Minnesota University reported success in creating a beating rat heart in laboratory. “You can make any organ” has become as a new notion. Scientists created limbs, fingers, etc in the past confirmed that the dream of creating human heart may be achieved within 10 years.
It is not correct to assume that bites from harmful snakes are invariably fatal. Hospital case histories with definite identification of the biting snake show that in about half the cases there is little or no effect of the poison. This is understandable, considering the fact that snake bite on man is a purely defensive reaction.
Today I came to know about an interesting behavioral pattern of the California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and rock squirrels (Spermophilus variegates).
Actually young squirrels are the favorite dish for rattlesnakes. In order to suppress their odor from rattlesnakes, these tiny creatures chew on old snake skin and smear it on their fur. This behavioral pattern was noticed by Barbara Clucas, a graduate student in animal behavior at the University of California, Davis.
This act of application of sloughed-off snake skin is considered to be a perfect defensive package of squirrels against rattlesnakes. The snakes get persuaded that another snake, not squirrel, is in the area.
Rattlers and other snakes usually prey the pups (Squirrel young one) and females while they fall asleep in the night. Mostly the adult squirrel won’t get affected by the snake poison as the blood proteins of them contains immunity against snake venom.
Another study confirms that squirrels are not only limited to the use of snake skin, they get used to take the snake odor from surfaces (tree branches, tree hole, etc) and soil, where the snakes have been resting.
So, the squirrels are turning the tables on the snakes. How wise they are…
Many species of animals have the capacity to produce venom. The venom has a passive defensive function in frogs, toads and salamanders, in which the venom glands are distributed in the skin. The venom reaches the highest development in snakes and is a weapon for capturing prey, for defense and also a digestive aid.
The venom glands are actually specialized salivary organs and inoculation of the venom is through the canalized or grooved teeth. The salivary secretion of the harmless snakes is equally effective against their prey species. The venom not only immobilizes the prey but aids the subsequent digestion of animal tissues. snake venom is a mixture, chiefly of proteins, varying in composition from species to species. Studies so far undertaken indicate that the biological significance of snake venom is primarily in their digestive role.
Snakes cannot chew and mix the products of their salivary glands with the tissues of their prey. Instead, they use a highly developed injection apparatus to apply digestive aids to their food.
These powerful and concentrated enzymes are extremely poisonous. For instance, the lethal dose of Russel’s viper venom for a rabbit in the body, compounds in the poison break down the connective tissues and destroy blood vessels, causing the spread of erythrocytes and serum into the tissues.
Necrosis at the site of a bite is due to the digestive properties of snake venom. A non-toxic component of the snake venom, not always present, liberates proteolytic enzymes into the victim’s body and hastens putrefaction.
I have visited a zoo as a undergraduate veterinary student as a volunteer. I searched the tongue of the basking crocodile. I asked the zoo vet about the missing tongue of the crocodile. He laughed and explained about the crocodile tongue.
Generally mouth of the crocodile makes up 15% of its body length. All the crocodiles are having a long thin forked tongue, but fused at the bottom of its mouth. So we can’t either see the tongue while it is basking or opening its mouth to capture its prey.
Length of the Crocodile Tongue
I measured the length of the tongue while performing postmortem of the same as a Zoo vet after my graduation. The length of the crocodile tongue is more or less 300-350 cms (this is a measurement of a crocodile of a 3 meters in length).
Additional Facts
The crocodile possess salt glands on their tongue, which is a modified salivary glands. The main purpose of this gland is to secrete excess salt from its body. Thats why salt water crocodile can spend weeks together in salt water.
As bottom line, I would like to conclude that this massive creature cannot stick out the tongue.
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