What are the predators of plant kingdom?

These are plants with many tricks up their sleeve. These are plants that consume meat. In short, these are called carnivorous plants. They lure unsuspecting prey into their traps. They indulge in carnivorous behaviour to obtain much-needed nutrients that are not found in the soil. Insects, spiders, lizards, mice, rats, and other small vertebrates become their prey. Let's take a look at some of these meat eaters.

VENUS FLYTRAP

Here we have hinged traps built into each leaf of the plant. These hinged lobes have spiny tooth-like structures attached to them. There are hair-like projections called trichomes in the insides of the lobe and if a prey were to get into contact with these hairy structures, snap shut the lobes and the prey has been caught! The tooth-like structures that edge the lobes ensure that the prey cannot get out of the trap.

NEPENTHES RAJAH

The Nepenthes rajah is the largest carnivorous plant in the world. Its trap can grow up to 41 centimetres tall. Vertebrates and small mammals have fallen prey to this genus of camivorous pitcher plant. This plant is endemic to Borneo. Insects get attracted by the odour of the nectar and once inside the pitcher, they cannot escape as they fail to get a grip on the sticky walls of the pitcher. They then fall into the water in the pitcher and as they struggle, the digestive glands get stimulated and digestive acids are released. The Nepenthes rajah can even digest mice!

PITCHER PLANT

For the pitcher plant, its pitcher-shaped leaves form the trap. These pitfall traps are filled with digestive juices. The animals are lured by the nectar. The rims of the pitcher are slippery and the prey falls in and drowns in the digestive fluids. They are often seen growing in a range of habitats viz. from pine barrens to sandy coastal swamps. They normally grow in poor soil conditions and it is through their carnivorous behaviour that they get the much-needed nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

COBRA LILY

With its hooded pitcher-like leaves, this pitcher plant resembles a cobra. Even the purple-red appendages that the plant has resembles a set of fangs. The nectar glands attract insects and small animals to the mouth of the pitcher. The large tubular leaves of the plant trap water. This is the only species of its genus that do not produce its own digestive enzymes. Rather, it depends on bacteria to break down its prey. Once inside, there is no escape. The slippery walls and the downward-pointing hairs ensure this and the prey falls into the fluid at the bottom of the pitcher. The prey gets decomposed by microorganisms in the fluid. The plant is native to swamps in the mountainous regions of the USA.

BUTTERWORT

Butterwort is a carnivorous flowering plant that uses its sticky leaves to lure in insects and eventually trap and digest them. This plant releases its enzymes for digesting the prey whilst it holds the prey in its place with its sticky mucous.

Picture Credit : Google 

What color is lobster blood inside the lobster?

Vertebrates have red blood. The colour comes from a molecule called haemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells. Haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body and it uses iron atoms to hold the oxygen and then release it.

Some invertebrates use a molecule called haemocyanin to carry oxygen around their bodies using copper atoms instead of iron. Snails, lobsters and spiders actually have blue blood (properly called haemolymph). The colour comes from the copper atoms in the haemocyanin molecule, which is blue when it is carrying an oxygen atom. It is dissolved directly into their ‘blood’ instead of being enclosed in blood cells.

Haemocyanin, like haemoglobin and chlorophyll in green plants, is a metalloprotein. This is a protein that contains metal atoms. Nature has plenty of examples of metalloproteins. In fact, plant and animal life forms have evolved with a basic need for metals.

A haemocyanin molecule contains two copper atoms that bind a single oxygen molecule (O2) and then release it where it is needed. Haemocyanin is a bluish purple colour when it is carrying an oxygen molecule as seen here beneath the carapace of a Cancer productus crab. Once haemocyanin releases its oxygen, it is colourless.

Credit : Copper Development Association

Picture Credit : Google

Where do leatherback sea turtles lay their eggs?

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world. They are the only species of sea turtle that lack scales and a hard shell. They are named for their tough rubbery skin and have existed in their current form since the age of the dinosaurs. Leatherbacks are highly migratory, some swimming over 10,000 miles a year between nesting and foraging grounds. They are also accomplished divers with the deepest recorded dive reaching nearly 4,000 feet—deeper than most marine mammals.

The leatherback turtle has the widest global distribution of any reptile, with nesting mainly on tropical or subtropical beaches. Once prevalent in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic, the leatherback population is rapidly declining in many parts of the world. They face threats on both nesting beaches and in the marine environment. The greatest of these threats worldwide are incidental capture in fishing gear (bycatch), hunting of turtles, and collection of eggs for human consumption. The Pacific leatherback turtle populations are most at-risk of extinction. Pacific leatherbacks are one of nine ESA-listed species identified in NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight initiative. Through this initiative, NOAA Fisheries has made it a priority to focus recovery efforts on stabilizing and recovering Pacific leatherback populations in order to prevent their extinction.

Credit : NOAA Fisheries 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the world's largest rodent?

The capybara is twice that big—the biggest rodent on Earth. These impressive semi-aquatic mammals are found throughout much of northern and central South America, though a small invasive population has been seen in Florida.

Like other rodents, capybaras’ teeth grow continuously, and they wear them down by grazing on aquatic plants, grasses, and other plentiful plants.

They also eat their own feces in the morning. That’s when their poo is protein rich from the high number of microbes digesting the previous day’s meals. Because the grasses they eat are so hard to digest, eating their waste essentially allows them to digest it twice.

Capybaras don’t mind being alone, but they also live in groups of up to 40. Their breeding season varies throughout the year depending on what habitat they live in and the availability of mates. Females usually have one litter of four to five young per year.

Though considered to have a stable population overall, in some areas capybaras are severely threatened by people who hunt them for their skin, and some local populations have been wiped out.

Credit : National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

Where do wild African lions live?

Powerful and majestic, the king of the beasts has no natural predators. But unthinkably, African lion numbers have plummeted by over 40% in the last three generations, due to loss of living space and con?ict with people.

Lions are the most sociable of all big cats. They live in groups called prides, which usually consist of related females and their cubs. Dominant males, with their flowing manes (a sign of virility), fight to maintain breeding rights.

Three-quarters of African lion populations are in decline. With only around 20,000 in the wild, they’re now officially classified as ‘vulnerable’.

African lions used to be spread across most of the continent, but now are only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with 80% in eastern or southern Africa. Three of the five largest populations are in Tanzania. Lions have disappeared from 12 sub-Saharan countries in recent decades.

Lions are top predators in their environment, whether that’s grasslands, desert or open woodland. It means they play a crucial role in keeping a healthy balance of numbers among other animals, especially herbivores like zebra and wildebeest – which in turn influences the condition of grasslands and forests.

By protecting a lion’s landscape, we’re helping the whole area to thrive, which doesn’t just benefit wildlife but the people who rely on local natural resources too.

Credit : WWF

Picture Credit : Google

A dog's eye has how many eyelids?

All dogs do, in fact, have eyelids. But depending on your dog’s breed, they may not be as pronounced as your own eyelids. Just like in humans, a dog’s eyelids are an extension of the skin. They protect the eyes and keep them healthy.

Dogs have three eyelids while humans only have two functional eyelids. 

A dog’s third eyelid—also called the nictitating membrane—is usually hidden, with only a small portion normally visible. If you look closely into your dog’s eyes, you will see a small triangular segment of his third eyelid at the inner corner of his eyes. The third eyelid is typically black, brown, or (rarely) pink.

Due to the blink reflex, if an object comes near a dog’s eyes, his eyelids will close and prevent the eye from trauma. Eyelids also help to keep dogs’ eyes moist with tears. Every time your dog blinks, the eyelids stimulate more tears to come out and old tears to drain away. A dog’s third eyelid is also responsible for producing tears. Tears contain liquid to keep the eyes lubricated, but they also contain important proteins called immunoglobulins which are part of the immune system’s defense in protecting the eyes from infections. 

Credit : Great Pet Care

Picture Credit : Google

What do ants use their jaws for?

The trap-jaw ant is famous for its super-strong mandibles, which can crush prey, handle eggs, defend nests from intruders, and even fling the insect into the air.

Now, scientists have found that these acrobatics help the tropical ants escape from predators, in particular the deadly antlion.

The ants deploy this strategy by angling their jaws downward, says study co-author Andrew Suarez, an ant expert at the University of Illinois in Urbana. (Also see "Ant With Lightning Jaws Makes World's Fastest Strike.")

"They produce so much force that when they strike [a part of the ground] that's relatively immovable, that force gets projected back on the ant and they go flying through the air," says Suarez, who received funding from National Geographic's Committee for Research and Exploration.

"It's like popcorn. They go bouncing everywhere."

And it turns out this behavior is good for more than entertaining entomologists.

Credit : National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

Do golden eagles attack deer?

Golden eagles use their speed and sharp talons to snatch up rabbits, marmots, and ground squirrels. They also eat carrion, reptiles, birds, fish, and smaller fare such as large insects. They have even been known to attack full grown deer. Ranchers once killed many of these birds for fear that they would prey on their livestock, but studies showed that the animal's impact was minimal. Today, golden eagles are protected by law.

Golden eagle pairs maintain territories that may be as large as 60 square miles. They are monogamous and may remain with their mate for several years or possibly for life. Golden eagles nest in high places including cliffs, trees, or human structures such as telephone poles. They build huge nests to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay from one to four eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months.

These majestic birds range from Mexico through much of western North America as far north as Alaska; they also appear in the east but are uncommon. Golden eagles are also found in Asia, northern Africa, and Europe.

Some golden eagles migrate, but others do not—depending on the conditions of their geographic location. Alaskan and Canadian eagles typically fly south in the fall, for example, while birds that live in the western continental U.S. tend to remain in their ranges year-round.

Credit : National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

Do jaguars like being alone?

Unlike many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water. In fact, they are quite good swimmers. They hunt fish, turtles, and even caimans, using their incredibly powerful jaws to pierce the animals’ skulls. Jaguars also eat deer, peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and a number of other land animals, which they prefer to ambush at night.

Jaguars live alone, and they’re territorial—they define their area by marking with their waste or clawing trees.

Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at birth. The mother stays with them and defends them fiercely from any animal that may approach—even their own father. Young jaguars learn to hunt by living with their mothers for two years or more.

Jaguars once roamed broadly from central Argentina all the way up to the southwestern United States. Since the 1880s, they’ve lost more than half their territory. Their main stronghold today is the Amazon Basin, though they still exist in smaller numbers through Central America as well.

They’re typically found in tropical rainforests but also live in savannas and grasslands.

Credit : National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

How many pounds of food does a walrus eat?

Adult walrus typically eat about 5% of their total body weight per day. That means a 2,000-pound walrus eats an average of 100 pounds of food every day! Their diet consists mostly of clams, marine worms, and fish. In fact, adult walrus can eat as many as 6,000 clams in one feeding! They can dive to depths of 200 feet in search of food. Walrus have lots of whiskers called vibrissae. They use these vibrissae to feel for clams and other food on the ocean floor. Sometimes they try to uncover clams by filling their mouths with water and squirting it out like a powerful fire-hose at the sea floor.

Walruses are easily distinguished by their long, white tusks, cinnamon-brown skin, grizzled whiskers, and bodies full of blubber. Growing up to 3,750 pounds, male Pacific walruses are larger than females and measure approximately 10 feet long. After a sustained period in very cold water, the tiny blood vessels in their skin constrict, and walruses appear almost white. Walruses turn pink when their circulation increases to diffuse excess body heat.

Walruses eat clams, crabs, shrimp, soft corals, sea cucumbers, and various other mollusks. They use their extremely sensitive “whiskers” to identify food. Walruses seize their prey between their lips and suck mollusks out of their shells with a quick piston-like flick of the tongue. Walruses face severe threats from global warming and the associated recession of arctic sea ice. The disappearance of sea ice is forcing walruses to haul out on land during the summer, which limits access to feeding areas at sea and makes them vulnerable to trampling, predation, and human disturbances. A major threat to the Pacific walrus is oil and gas exploration and drilling in the Chukchi and Bering seas. Other dangers include habitat disturbances, ocean acidification, and toxic pollution.

Credit : Center for Biological Diversity

Picture Credit : Google

How does a pufferfish expand?

Pufferfish can instinctually inflate their bodies whenever they feel threatened as soon as they hatch. This helps them appear more intimidating to potential predators. When the pufferfish matures it can use this defense mechanism to full effect, allowing the fish to puff up to three times its original size. This can take as little as 15 seconds. Marine biologists at James Cook studied the behavior and found that the pufferfish forces its body to puff by unhinging its jaw to widen its mouth. While unhinging the jaw, the fish gulps large amounts of water, quickly expanding its entire body. This expansion makes the pufferfish look much more intimidating than usual, with the goal of scaring off predators.

As you can imagine, gulping lots of water stretches out the fish’s stomach as well as its skin. Swimming becomes very difficult for pufferfish when they’re blown up to three times their normal size. Already not the most streamlined swimmers — which is why they have this defensive tactic in the first place —the puffed-up fish has lost even more mobility. A puffed-up puffer will basically drift along until it returns to normal size.

The pufferfish expels water from its stomach the way it entered, but at a much slower rate. Studies have shown that it can take an average of 5.6 hours before the fish returns to a typical metabolic level. During this time, the fish is vulnerable because of its size and immobility. The pufferfish is also typically exhausted from the exertion of puffing up. Because of these factors, divers and guides should view and appreciate this oddly formed fish from a distance, and tell other divers to do the same. Just as with all other marine life: keep your hands to yourself when it comes to pufferfish.

Credit : Scuba Diver Life

Picture Credit : Google

What do pelicans use their pouches for?

There are more than half a dozen species of pelicans, but all of them have the famous throat pouch for which the birds are best known. These large birds use their elastic pouches to catch fish—though different species use it in different ways.

Many pelicans fish by swimming in cooperative groups. They may form a line or a "U" shape and drive fish into shallow water by beating their wings on the surface. When fish congregate in the shallows, the pelicans simply scoop them up. The brown pelican, on the other hand, dives on fish (usually a type of herring called menhaden) from above and snares them in its bill. Pelicans do not store fish in their pouch, but simply use it to catch them and then tip it back to drain out water and swallow the fish immediately. The American white pelican can hold some 3 gallons of water in its bill. Young pelicans feed by sticking their bills into their parents' throats to retrieve food.

Pelicans are found on many of the world's coastlines and also along lakes and rivers. They are social birds and typically travel in flocks, often strung out in a line. They also breed in groups called colonies, which typically gather on islands.

Credit : National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

Why do red-eyed tree frogs have red eyes?

One of the most iconic critters of tropical rainforests, just about everyone recognizes the Red-eyed Tree Frog – those bulging scarlet eyes can’t be missed! Common in the tropical rainforests of Central America, this ever-popular frog has a bright green body with blue-and-yellow-striped flanks, vibrant orange toe webbing with sticky pads on the end of each toe, and bright red eyes with vertical black pupils. Its pale underside has thin, soft skin, while its back is thicker and rougher. Medium-sized for a tree frog, at 7 cm it is about the size of a teacup, and like other tree frogs, females are larger than males.

The Red-eyed Tree Frog is arboreal and nocturnal, and spends its days sleeping in the canopy of the rainforest, where it is seldom encountered during the day. It will often tuck itself away into the leaves of tank bromeliads. At night, especially during the breeding season, it descends to the ground to hunt and breed, and can be found in riverine and pond habitats. It is an excellent jumper with its long, thin but powerful legs, earning it the nickname “monkey frog.” Red-eyed Tree Frogs are insectivorous, preying on a wide variety of insects. They use their long, sticky tongue to grab their prey. Despite its seemingly daunting coloration, the Red-eyed Tree Frog is not poisonous; rather, it relies on those bright colors and especially its big red eyes to startle potential predators, a trait called startle coloration. During the day, it folds in its legs and arms snugly up to its body and covers its brightly colored flanks and toe webbing, enabling it to blend in nicely with a green leaf. It extends its third eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, over its red eyes – this way it can still see movement and fluctuations in light and, more importantly, potential predators as it rests. If a predator comes near, the frog opens its big eyes and exposes its bright colors, giving it a second or two to distract the predator and a chance to escape. They are good swimmers and climbers.

Red-eyed Tree Frogs range from Mexico to Colombia, and can be found throughout Panama. They are widely distributed and presumed to have large populations, but of course are at risk of habitat loss, as are all rainforest animals. They are found occasionally around the Canopy Family lodges.

Credit : Canopy family

Picture Credit : Google

What is another name of killer whale?

The killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is recognizable by its black-and-white patterned body. A cosmopolitan species, killer whales can be found in all of the world's oceans in a variety of marine environments, from Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas; they are absent only from the Baltic and Black seas, and some areas of the Arctic Ocean.

Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and other species of dolphin. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as they have no natural predators. They are highly social; some populations are composed of very stable matrilineal family groups (pods) which are the most stable of any animal species. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviours, which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of animal culture.

Wild killer whales are not considered a threat to humans, and no fatal attack on humans has ever been documented. There have been cases of captive orcas killing or injuring their handlers at marine theme parks. Killer whales feature strongly in the mythologies of indigenous cultures, and their reputation in different cultures ranges from being the souls of humans to merciless killers.

Picture Credit : Google

What do catfish use whiskers for?

Each one is loaded with tiny taste buds and special olfactory sensors. These help the fish taste and smell. Catfish tend to live in dark, murky waters where their vision isn’t very useful. Barbels help the fish search out food using their senses of touch and taste.

Barbel whiskers are only part of where the catfish got its name. When caught, they make a noise that sounds a bit like a cat purring. However, this may be where the similarities between catfish and cats end. Catfish can easily grow to become much larger than a cat—and sometimes even larger than a kid!

In fact, the largest catfish ever caught was about the size of a grizzly bear. Captured in Thailand’s Mekong River, the fish weighed in at 646 pounds. On top of being the largest catfish, it is also currently the largest freshwater fish on record.

Credit : Wonderopolis

Picture Credit : Google