#KnowledgeBomb - Pyrrhopyge papius Caterpillar

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

I’m not going to lie, this has to be my favorite species of caterpillar.  At least top five.  When I was doing my research in Ecuador (best time ever), this is the little bugger I chose to write my main paper on.  And here is why: they are GORGEOUS.

After studying them a bit, I totally realized I had made a great choice.  These little bundles of adorable aren’t only super pretty to look at, but they have some sweet survival skills that warrant some props.

Here is a picture of a baby.  Like, baby baby.  Caterpillars go through five instars, or stages, before metamorphosis.  Aren’t they cute as babies?  They aren’t the tiniest things ever, but pretty small, less than an inch long.  They have big hard helmet heads, and super bright orange bands going around their deep maroon bodies.  Those super long white hairs are a defense against biters like birds and bigger bugs.  Bright colors and strange appendages in the jungle generally equal toxic (unless you are a sneaky copy cat, which totally happens).

Here’s the thing that blows my mind: that awesome color is thought to be directly related to the latex that flows through the leaves of the plant it eats, Vismia.  The latex is  dark maroon or orange, depending on the plant, and that is the plant’s defense - obviously ineffective against this tough little nugget.  But I’m pretty sure it does make these little dudes toxic to predators.

One of the most awesomesauce things about them is the way they shelter themselves.  Caterpillars have a bunch of different ways of hiding and sheltering themselves, and this dood builds himself a little hut.  He eats away a part of a leaf, flips it over, and glues it down on top of him.  Perfect hiding place!  

They get pretty big as they go through their life stages, and I would guess (this is totally from memory) that they are about 4 inches when they pupate.  OMG, pupating!  Yes!  That is when the caterpillar gets all weird, and their body turns into that strange chrysalis thing.  Usually it is ugly - like a dull brown to blend in - but not this guy!  He stays fabulous even when going through one of the most strenuous and taxing changes that occur in the animal planet.  Look at that color!  Um, so yeah, they become far less spectacular as grown-ups, which is usually the case.  The most gorgeous caterpillars often make the ugliest moths.  So enjoy, these are all photos I took while I was falling in love with them!

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#KnowledgeBomb - Three-toed Sloth

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

Sloths are so super cool, and I tend to give preferential love to the three-toed sloth, rather than the similar two-toed sloth.  They actually aren't even that closely related, and scientists believe that they evolved their tree-swinging lifestyle separately.  Amazing.  The two-toed sloth is quite a bit bigger, has only two toes on their front feet, and don't harbor the algae in their fur that makes the three-toed sloth so dang adorable.

Three-toed sloths are smaller than you might think - like the size of a big cat.  They have three super long curved claws on their front feet to help them hang from trees.  They spend over 90% of their time up in the trees, because they can't move fast on land which makes them an excellent tasty snack to local tough guys.  They can't walk because of those gnarly claws, so they have to drag themselves around, but they can swim pretty well, which is just amazing to see. 

Three-toed sloths are sooooo incredibly slow moving that green algae grows on their fur, making them actually turn a greenish color.  Not such a bad thing - totally makes them blend in better.  Another awesome thing about them (and I read this in my tropical ecosystems book like 6 years ago, so hopefully I'm remembering it right) is that they take forever to digest their food, like forever and ever.  They come down from their tree to poop, and poke a hole in the ground at the base of their tree with their nubby little tail, and take their digger there, which fertilizes their home.  How frickin awesome is that?

So yeah, they're pretty rad.  They sleep a ton, eat fruit and tree bits, and hang out.  Literally.  So frickin cute I want to just kiss them right on their green face.  Seriously, do a google image search real quick and you will fall in love, too. 

And hey! I'm on Twitter! @JenSquard

#KnowledgeBomb - Giraffes

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

The majestic giraffe - who doesn't love these guys?  Seriously, tell me who and I'll have a talk with them.  They are frickin awesome, and not only gorgeous, but physiologically amazing.

While popular myth says that giraffes have a ton of vertebrae, they have only have seven cervical vertebrae - exactly the same amount that we have.  Their long ass neck certainly poses dangers for them, like bending down to drink, but it is also their biggest defense.  They stay standing for everything, including sleep and birth.  They are thought to only sleep less than an hour a day, in little tiny naps throughout the night.  They rest from time to time, but for full blown sleeping, they rest their neck on their hindquarter and do it as little as possible.

Every giraffe has a unique set of spots, and they can be identified through them, just like fingerprints.  You can also tell their age from their spots - they get darker as they get older.  Hmmm...what else?  Oh yeah, they have horns!  And they're born with them, unlike most mammals.  And these horms are legit horms, not antlers or keratin, they are bone and extend from the skull.  Wanna know my favorite part about giraffes?  Their tongues are black.  Totally rad.

So, about their giant bodies...they are around 16 feet tall and their tongue is over 2 feet long.  They are crazy strong, but super peaceful.  And they can kill an adult lion with a single kick.  The bull giraffes often neck fight by smacking their necks into each other to establish dominance.  It is generally harmless, but pretty terrifying to watch.  They are one of the few "silent" mammals, which just means they don't communicate audibly often, but are capable of it.  They are frickin awesome, and now you know why.

 I would love to hear your thoughts! @JenSquard