My Science School

Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, is a honey bee of South and Southeast Asia, found mainly in forested areas such as the Terai of Nepal. They are typically around 17–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) long. Nests are mainly built in exposed places far off the ground, like on tree limbs, under cliff overhangs, and sometimes on buildings. These social bees are known for their aggressive defense strategies and vicious behavior when disturbed. Though not domesticating it, indigenous peoples have traditionally used this species as a source of honey and beeswax, a practice known as honey hunting.

Apis dorsata differs from the other bees in its genus in terms of nest design. Each colony consists of a single vertical comb made of workers’ wax suspended from above, and the comb is typically covered by a dense mass of bees in several layers. The nests vary in size, reaching up to 1 meter. Each cell within the comb is hexagonal in shape. Apis dorsata store their honey in an upper corner of the nest. The same size and type of cells are used to rear larvae. Nests are constructed in the open and in elevated locations, such as on urban buildings or tall trees. These bees rarely build nests on old or weak buildings for safety concerns. Apis dorsata can form dense aggregations at one nesting site, sometimes with up to 200 colonies in one tree.

Each colony can have up to 100,000 bees and is separated by only a few centimeters from the other colonies in an aggregation. Some colonies also exhibit patterns of nest recognition, in which they return to the same nesting sites post migration.

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The Himalayan giant honeybee is the largest honeybee in the world, measuring up to 3 cm in length. Confined to the Himalayas, it is adapted to highland habitats, nesting at altitudes between 2500 and 3000 metres above sea level. It builds its huge nest on overhanging rock cliffs with each nest containing as much as 60 kg of honey.

The nests of giant honey bees are large single combs which can measure up to 1.5 m in width and 1 m in depth. This large single comb can contain upwards of 60,000 bees. Unlike dwarf honey bees or cavity nesting honey bee species, colonies of giant honey bees can be highly clustered in a specific location, with some trees in Asia (termed ‘bee trees’) containing multiple nests in a single tree, sometimes up to 50 nests.

Giant honey bee nests are usually built in exposed places far off the ground, sometimes 20–40 m high on thick branches of tree limbs, overhanging rocks or cliffs, or on buildings or other man-made structures. The key difference between dwarf honey bees and giant honey bees, apart from their nest size, is that giant honey bee nests hang underneath a structure such as a branch, whereas dwarf honey bee nests are wrapped around a structure such as a branch. Giant honey bee colonies can be quite aggressive, and because of this, around three quarters of the population of a giant honey bee colony are engaged in colony defense, forming a protective curtain around the nest that is three to four bees thick.

Giant honey bees are mainly tropical and in most places they migrate seasonally. Colonies are capable of migrating great distances, sometimes up to 200 km, as they follow the wet and dry seasons. Colonies will travel for many months, resting in trees along the way, building combs and honey reserves and then moving on to new locations as the forage decreases, before setting up new nests for the mass flowering of the monsoon season. Some evidence suggests that the bees are capable of returning to the same nest sites as previous years, even though all of the original bees in the process may be replaced. This mechanism of memory retention within the honey bee colony remains a mystery.

Credit : BeeAware 

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Wildlife trade refers to the commerce of non-domesticated animals or plants, usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions, either as living or dead animals or their body parts.

Illegal wildlife trafficking is any environment-related crime that involves the illegal trade, smuggling, poaching, capture or collection of endangered species, protected wildlife (including animals and plants that are subject to harvest quotas and regulated by permits), derivatives or products thereof.

At the core of the illegal wildlife trafficking is a strong and rapidly expanding demand for a variety of products around the world: bushmeat; ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine; exotic pets; jewelry, trinkets, and accessories such as chess sets; furs for uses ranging from coats to traditional costumes; and trophies.

Wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which currently has 170 member countries.

Illegal wildlife trade, however, is a widespread and serious conservation problem, it has a negative effect on the viability of many wildlife populations and is one of the major threats to the survival of vertebrate species. 

Credit : Wildlife Trade 

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Northern Georgia has been besieged by millions of giant arachnids called Joro spiders. These brightly coloured East Asian spiders have draped parts of more than 25 counties in the State with their thick webs. Porches, mail boxes and gardens have all been taken over by the spiders, prompting a flood of anxious social media posts by the residents.

Joro spiders are part of a group of spiders known as "orb weavers" common to China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. They spin symmetrical circular webs and use their venom to immobile prey that get caught in their webs. The venom, however, poses no threat to human beings.

How did the Asian spiders end up in the U.S.? Scientists believe that the spiders hitch-hiked to Georgia through shipping containers. The spiders were first spotted here in 2014 and since then their population and range have expanded steadily across the state, but nothing prepared residents or researchers for the number of spiders they would face this year. Experts believe that the invasive species could spread even farther into other parts of the United States.

Invasive? What does that mean?

Invasive species are organisms that migrate to or are introduced to a new geographical location, where they pose a threat to the environment. They could be insects, plants, animals or pathogens. These species start to grow and multiply quickly in the absence of natural predators from their original homes.

How do invasive species spread?

• Some species arrive in a new area through migration.
• Some are spread unintentionally by human activities. When people travel they often inadvertently carry alien species along. For instance, insects may arrive in a new place by travelling on luggages.
• Some species are introduced on purpose as pets or to combat pests, which turn out to be invasive in the new place.

Why are they considered threats?

Invasive species cause harm to the ecosystem in many ways.

• In the absence of natural predators, a new and aggressive species can breed, spread quickly and overrun the local habitat. Native species may not have evolved defences against the invader, further boosting the invaders growth.
• The threats from an invasive species also include preying on native species and outcompeting them for resources, thereby restricting the growth of native species. Some invasive species are capable of changing the conditions in an ecosystem, such as the soil chemistry.
• Invasive species can change the food web in an ecosystem by destroying native food sources. People who depend on the ecosystem's native resources will also be affected.

However, some scientists are optimistic that the Joro spiders, though invasive, could actually bring unexpected benefits. They could act as natural pest control as they kill off mosquitoes, biting flies and stink bugs that damage crops.

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It was a fabulous bird or Egyptian myth. It lived for 500 years, built a nest of spices and burned itself to ashes. From the ashes came a young bird that lived for the next 500 years.

The Egyptians associated the phoenix with immortality, and that symbolism had a widespread appeal in late antiquity. The phoenix was compared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City. It was also widely interpreted as an allegory of resurrection and life after death—ideas that also appealed to emergent Christianity.

In Islamic mythology the phoenix was identified with the ?anq?? (Persian: s?morgh), a huge mysterious bird (probably a heron) that was originally created by God with all perfections but thereafter became a plague and was killed.

Credit : Britannica

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In Greek mythology pegasus was a fabulous winged horse, which sprang from the blood of Medusa, after Perseus had cut off her head. Pegasus flew to heaven and a constellation is named after him.

With Athena’s (or Poseidon’s) help, another Greek hero, Bellerophon, captured Pegasus and rode him first in his fight with the Chimera and later while he was taking vengeance on Stheneboea (Anteia), who had falsely accused Bellerophon. Subsequently Bellerophon attempted to fly with Pegasus to heaven but was unseated and killed or, by some accounts, lamed. The winged horse became a constellation and the servant of Zeus. The spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon was believed to have been created when the hoof of Pegasus struck a rock.

Pegasus’s story was a favourite theme in Greek art and literature; Euripides’ lost tragedy Bellerophon was parodied at the beginning of Aristophanes’ Peace (421 BC). In late antiquity Pegasus’s soaring flight was interpreted as an allegory of the soul’s immortality; in modern times it has been regarded as a symbol of poetic inspiration.

Credit : Britannica 

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Pandas live in isolated parts of China, high up in the mountains. They are very rare, and live alone in areas of bamboo forest.

They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs.

A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter—about 1/900th the size of its mother—but females can grow up to about 200 pounds, while males can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.

The biological diversity of the panda’s habitat is unparalleled in the temperate world and rivals that of tropical ecosystems, making the giant panda an excellent example of an umbrella species conferring protection on many other species where pandas live. In other words, when we protect pandas, we invariably protect other animals that live around them, such as multicolored pheasants, the golden monkey, takin, and crested ibis. Pandas also bring sustainable economic benefits to many local communities through ecotourism.

Credit : WWF

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No it is the same colour as the black rhino! It has a wide upper lip and grazes like a cow. The black rhino's lip is pointed for plucking twigs and leaves.

White rhinos live on Africa's grassy plains, where they sometimes gather in groups of as many as a dozen individuals. Females reproduce only every two and a half to five years. Their single calf does not live on its own until it is about three years old.

Under the hot African sun, white rhinos take cover by lying in the shade. Rhinos are also wallowers. They find a suitable water hole and roll in its mud, coating their skin with a natural bug repellent and sunblock.

Rhinos have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell. They may find one another by following the trail of scent each enormous animal leaves behind it on the landscape.

White rhinos have two horns, the foremost more prominent than the other. Rhino horns grow as much as three inches a year, and have been known to grow up to five feet long. Females use their horns to protect their young, while males use them to battle attackers.

The prominent horn for which rhinos are so well known has been their downfall. Many animals have been killed for this hard, hair-like growth, which is revered for medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in North Africa and the Middle East as an ornamental dagger handle.

Credit : National Geographic 

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This fierce animal used to live in Australia, but is now only found in Tasmania. About lm (40in) long from nose to tail, it only comes out at night. It feeds on small animals, birds, lizards and even wallabies if it can catch them.

The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, reaching 30 inches in length and weighing up to 26 pounds, although its size will vary widely depending on where it lives and the availability of food. Its oversize head houses sharp teeth and strong, muscular jaws that can deliver, pound for pound, one of the most powerful bites of any mammal.

Once abundant throughout Australia, Tasmanian devils are now found only on the island state of Tasmania. Their Tasmanian range encompasses the entire island, although they are partial to coastal scrublands and forests. Biologists speculate that their extinction on the mainland about 400 years ago may be linked to the introduction of Asian dogs—or dingoes.

Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey such as frogs, birds, fish, and insects. They prefer scavanging to hunting and frequently feast communally on carrion. They are at their most rowdy when jockeying for position on a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well-fed, their tails swell with stored fat.

Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed. They use their long whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and locate prey and carrion. They'll eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, and when they do find food, they are voracious, consuming everything—including hair, organs, and bones.

Credit : National Geographic 

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The tuatara is a reptile found only in parts of New Zealand. It belongs to the stegosaurus family and has remained unchanged for over 200 million years. It is our only living contact with the dinosaurs.

The stegosaurus hunts at night, but don't worry-it's only about 75cm (30in) long!

Adult tuataras are active at night because that’s when their food is most available, although they do come out of their burrow to bask in the sun. They eat mostly insects, especially beetles, but have been known to eat lizards, birds, and bird eggs. Young tuataras usually hunt for food during the day to keep from being eaten by adult tuataras at night! 

There are two rows of teeth on the upper jaw and one row on the lower jaw that fits between the upper rows of teeth when the mouth is closed. The arrangement of the teeth helps tuataras tear apart hard insects. These small teeth are not replaced when lost or broken, and older tuataras have to eat softer food items as their teeth wear down. 

Credit : San Diego Zoo

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It sounds like a galleon but it is really a very dangerous type of jellyfish! Its poisonous stinging tentacles up to 25 m (82ft) long can sometimes kill humans.

The man-of-war comprises four separate polyps. It gets its name from the uppermost polyp, a gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old warship at full sail. Man-of-wars are also known as bluebottles for the purple-blue color of their pneumatophores.

The tentacles are the man-of-war's second organism. These long, thin tendrils can extend 165 feet in length below the surface, although 30 feet is more the average. They are covered in venom-filled nematocysts used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures. For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly. But beware—even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting.

Muscles in the tentacles draw prey up to a polyp containing the gastrozooids or digestive organisms. A fourth polyp contains the reproductive organisms.

Credit : National Geographic 

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Molluscs are a major group of animals that include shellfish, snails and slugs. They have soft, limbless bodies with no skeleton-most of them are protected by a hard shell. Squids, octopuses and cuttlefish have internal skeletons.

Most molluscs live in the sea, but some live in fresh water or on land. They are cold blooded.

The mollusks have adapted to all habitats except air. Although basically marine, bivalves and gastropods include freshwater species. Gastropods have also adapted to land, with thousands of species living a fully terrestrial existence. Found on rocky, sandy, and muddy substrata, mollusks burrow, crawl, become cemented to the surface, or are free-swimming.

Mollusks are found worldwide, but there is a preponderance of some groups in certain areas of the world. The close association of many molluscan groups with their food source—whether by direct dependence on a specific food supply (e.g., plant-eating, or herbivores) or by involvement in food chains—limits their geographic distribution; for example, bivalves of the family Teredinidae (shipworms) are associated with wood. In general, cold-water regions support fewer species.

Credit : Britannica 

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Hermit crabs use abandoned molluse shells as homes. This crab's abdomen is soft, so the extra shell is for protection. When the crab grows it simply finds a bigger shell to live in.

Hermit crabs vary in their mating habits. The Caribbean hermit crab, for example, lives in wetlands, but when it’s time to mate, will head for the seashore in huge masses.

Amid the chaos, males and females find each other, coming partly out of their shells so the male can transfer a sperm packet to the female, which fertilizes her eggs. She later carries her eggs to the water’s edge, where contact with seawater causes the eggs to burst and the larvae to float away.

Hermit crabs don’t breed well in captivity, and so the numerous land hermit crabs seen in pet stores and tourist shops are taken from the wild, which is considered an unsustainable practice.

Plastic pollution is also a problem for hermit crabs, which often mistake a plastic bottle cap or container for a new home. A 2020 study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that around 570,000 hermit crabs die annually from getting caught in plastic debris on two tropical islands in the South Pacific.

When these trapped crabs die, they release a pheromone signal to other crabs that there may be a shell available, which lures even more crabs into a death trap.

Credit : National Geographic 

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The puffer fish, which puffs itself up when threatened, is one of the world's most poisonous fish. They are eaten in Japan, after careful preparation by a trained chef, who removes the poisonous sac.

This delicacy is known as a fugu and is eaten raw. Many people die each year from eating this dish. The poison paralyses the nervous system and there is no known antidote.

A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.

There are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide. Most are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, but some species live in brackish and even fresh water. They have long, tapered bodies with bulbous heads. Some wear wild markings and colors to advertise their toxicity, while others have more muted or cryptic coloring to blend in with their environment.

They range in size from the 1-inch-long dwarf or pygmy puffer to the freshwater giant puffer, which can grow to more than 2 feet in length. They are scaleless fish and usually have rough to spiky skin. All have four teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form.

Credit : National Geographic 

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This fish cannot fly like a bird, but it leaps into the air, up to 6m (20ft) then glides for about 400m (1,300ft) before splashing back.

There are roughly 40 species of flying fish. Flying fish are tropical and temperate marine species that can be seen off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. They are also found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Open oceans provide a habitat for most flying fish, but some live instead on the outskirts of coral reefs.

It’s thought that flying fish evolved a flying mechanism to escape from their many oceanic predators. Once in the air, though, they sometimes become food for birds. Young flying fish may have filaments protruding from their lower jaws that camouflage them as plant blossoms.

Spawning takes place in the open ocean, near the water’s surface. A female deposits eggs, which are attached by sticky filaments to seaweed and floating debris. Newly hatched flying fish have whiskers near their mouths, which disguises them as plants, thus protecting them from predators. A flying fish lives for an average of five years.

Credit : The National Wildlife Federation

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