Mermaids? Mermaids!

There is a frenzy stirring in Israel, where people are claiming to have seen a mermaid. They say she was laying on the sand before diving back into the water. There are actually a fair number of witnesses. And the goverment has put up a one million dollar reward to anyone who can get photographic proof.

What i never understand is why the mermaids in movies and books all want to be human so bad. Are you serious? Make me a mer...man and you'll never hear another complaint out of me.

Jumping Manta Rays

This makes me feel like less of a softie after posting those Axolotl videos-- the great leaping Manta Rays of Cabo San Lucas

The Hungry Axolotl

Baby Axolotl

Okay, so I've tried my hardest to never say the word "cute" but, well, this Axotol is...um...ah...CUTE! There, I said it, the Axotol dragged it out of me!

Batesian Mimicry

Batesian Mimicry is when a harmless animal mimics a harmful (or bad tasting) animal. This helps the mimic because predators stay away from it. A lot of times you will hear people say that the relationship between the non-venomous milk snake and the deadly coral snake is an example of this type of mimicry but (as you'll see later in the week) that's not exactly true. A better example is the Hornet Moth (seen here):

And here:

Hornet Moths look an awful lot like the Yellow Jacket Wasp (below) which can sting to defend themselves.

I don't know about you, but I've been stung by a Yellow Jacket and I'm not in a hurry to get stung again. So you won't see me bothering any yellow and black flying insects, even if it is just a harmless Hornet Moth. Which is exactly the effect the Hornet Moth's mimicry is going for.

The Incredible Poison Dart Frog

All of the frogs pictured here are Poison Dart Frogs from the family Dendrobatidae.

They got their name because certain indigenous tribes in Central and South America (where the frogs are found) use their poison for the tips of blow darts.

But the Poison Dart Frogs interest me for a different reason::: Look at their coloring-- so bright and distinct and beautiful it looks almost like it was painted on their bodies.

Those bright colors and designs are good examples of Aposematism. Aposematism is basically when the way an animal looks announces to it's predators: "Um...you probably don't want to eat me: I'M POISONOUS! SERIOUSLY!"

These guys are the exact opposite of animals like the leaf-tailed gecko who try to hide from predators. Instead their bright bodies give a warning signal to possible predators.

There are lots of examples of aposematic animals among reptiles, amphibians and insects but there are also a few examples among mammals. The most easy to identify are the white strips on the back of the skunk. That's the skunk saying: "I stink, don't eat me."

So if you see a Poison Dart Frog take their warning seriously: look but don't touch...and certainly don't eat.

THE LEAFY SEA DRAGON

Here is a short video of my new pal the Leafy Sea Dragon on the move. Enjoy!

ANY WHICH WALL

Hey Gang:

I've been wanting to do more book reviews and now I have the perfect chance. This weekend I picked up the book: Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder.

I'm not going to summarize it for you. (CLICK HERE if you want the Amazon Summary)

I'm also not going to describe the character arcs or unfold exactly how the plot turns. That would be like handling the wings of a butterfly -- and steal some of the magic from this incredible book.

I will tell you this: The second I opened Any Which Wall I felt dropped into a special kind of story. I knew on page one that the book held something incredible. It is the type of book that I used to read on long summer afternoons with a foot dangling down from the eaves of an oak tree while drinking lemonade from a mason jar. You know the type?

It is engaging and incredibly clear... like water.

The world doesn't hang in the balance, there are no evil necromancers, no superpowers...But that doesn't mean that the book can't zip along. It definitely does.

Its the type of book that I hope stays in print for a hundred years. The type that I hope the readers of this blog love. And it holds plenty of magic-- transporting me to the basement of my grandmother's house by the sea-- where I would curl up at night as a boy discovering a passion for storytelling.

Check it out!

New News about an Old Friend!

My old pal the Komodo Dragon is in the news again.  Remember how for all those years we thought the Komodo Dragon didn't have any venom and that they killed other animals with the mix of bacteria in their saliva?  

I remember it like it was yesterday...Because it was yesterday.  But today it turns out that Komodos do in fact have venom.  It's main effects seem to be seizures, decreased blood pressure and an inability to clot.  So basically, the venom gives all those bacteria in the dragon's saliva more time to work their foul magic.  

Just thinking about Komodo again gives me the shivers and makes me think back on the week that I spent with them-- being hunted constantly -- just two years back.  

I have been just a few feet from lions in Kenya, tracked Cheetah in Namibia, swum with sharks in Thailand and come face to face (quite literally) with Mountain Gorillas in Uganda--- and the only animal that scares me is the Komodo Dragon. 

...

I probably won't sleep all that great tonight.

Ricky Jay Card Throwing

Ricky Jay is a living master, who understands that (more than anything else) magic is about wonder and amazement!

Check him out online at www.rickyjay.com.

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