8 Strange Animal Stuff I Learned The Past Few Days #2

If you are a follower of mine you have probably noticed how I like posting about strange animals on a daily basis. Today, I want to present you with a quick compilation of some of the weirdest animal-related stuff I stumbled upon the past few days:

1. Researchers Develop GMO Mosquitoes To Fight Malaria

Anopheles stephensi mosquito having a quick snack

Using a new gene editing technique, researchers at the University of California have developed a new genetically modified strain of mosquito that is highly resistant to the malaria parasite. Their ultimate goal is to introduce the malaria-blocking genes of that strain into the wild mosquito populations (with ol' fashioned mosquito sex), eliminating the ability of this annoying insect to transmit malaria to humans.

Initial results  have been very promising with about  99.5 percent of GMO mosquitos transferring their malaria-resistant genes to their offsprings. What this means is that, theoretically, it would require only a few generations before a wild population becomes malaria-resistant once these GMO mosquitoes are introduced.

"This opens up the real promise that this technique can be adapted for eliminating malaria. We know the gene works. The mosquitoes we created are not the final brand, but we know this technology allows us to efficiently create large populations." said Anthony James, one of the leading researchers. [1]

2. This Video

Now I want a pet frilled-necked lizard too!

3. Whales Give Dolphins A Lift For Fun

In two different locations in Hawaii, scientists have witnessed dolphins ride the heads of whales which in turn lift the dolphins out of the water. The dolphins then slide on the back of the whales.. This inter-species interaction seems to be 100 % voluntarily from both animals, with no signs of distress or aggression. They just do it for fun! [3]

Here's a video by the scientists who made this observation back in 2012:

4. Jewel Spiders Are Pure Awesomeness

Here's a cool spider genus I discovered yesterday. I hope my friend @abigail-dantes, who hates spiders, likes this one:

Thwaitesia Spider in Singapore (Credit: Nicky Bay)

The spider depicted above belongs to the Thwaitesia genus, the exact species has not been recognized. Not surprisingly, these cool spiders are commonly known as mirror spiders. Thwaitesia spiders are relatively small, with adults reaching a length ranging from 2  to 5 mm, depending on species and sex. They occur all over the world and there are more than 20 recognized species. 

Click here for some more amazing mirror-spider photography.

5. Macaque Mother Carries the Dead Body of Her Baby for Weeks and Eventually Eats the Mummified Remains

A recent horrifying paper [4] reports all the gory details of how a female Macaque monkey (at the Parco Faunistico di Piano dell'Abatino animal sanctuary in Italy) carried the dead body of her baby for weeks before finally eating it. 

The monkey and her dead baby (credit: Arianna De Marco) 

According to the paper, the baby died after about four days. At first the mother mourned for two days straight, screaming at her own reflection in the sanctuary’s plastic door. Then she starting taking care, grooming and carrying the corpse with her. 

"Despite the noticeable odor from the corpse, she groomed and licked it regularly, paying attention mainly to the face.” an excerpt from the paper. 

On the 19th day it's when things took a strange turn. Evalyne (as the monkey was named) continued to carry the corpse but she also gnawed and consumed small parts of it! Over the next days she continued carrying and eating it little by little until the 25th day when there was nothing left except a single bone.

"Our observations suggest that mummification of the body favored persistence of maternal behaviors by preserving the body’s shape. The female gradually proceeded from strong attachment to the infant’s body to decreased attachment, then finally full abandonment of the remains." excerpt from the paper. [4]

Mmmmm, tasty! (credit: Arianna De Marco) 

6.  The Strangest Bird Fight and Two Very Concerned Dogs

 Just two wieners watchin a cockfight !

8. There is a confetti-covered weevil somewhere in Ecuador

(Credit: Gil Wizen)

According to the guy who tweeted this image, this is a Compsus weevil from Ecuador. Apparently many of these weevils look like they were sprinkled with glittery confetti. Here's another photo from the same guy:

And here's some info on compsus weevils by the website of the same guy. Apparently he is an expert:

"Compsus is a large genus distributed mainly in Central and South America, with one species occurring in North America. It contains around 140 species, mostly small to medium sized beetles of 0.5-2.5cm in length. Several species are considered as pests of citrus trees. The adult weevils feed on plant tissue: leaves, flower petals, and pollen, but they will also go for rotting leaves and fermenting fruits. " [5]

The End

So that's pretty much my compilation of the weirdest animal-related stuff I came across the past few days. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :) 

More Strange Animals

Want more strange animals? Here are some of my latest posts:

• You Won't Believe What This Tiny Baby Fish Grows Out To Be
• This Alien-like Worm Will Freak You Out!
• Cymothoa exigua: The Parasite That Turns Into A Tongue ?!?!
• 8 Strange Animal Stuff I Learned The Past Few Days #1
• New Cave Dwelling Animal Discovered With The Help Of Smelly Cheese
• Animals Named After Donald Trump
• The Bernie Sanders Spider

References

1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123210211.htm
2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1521077112
3. https://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins/(watch)/bio/news/whales-give-dolphins-a-lift
4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10329-017-0633-8
5. http://gilwizen.com/compsus/

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