Fungal infection causes tarantula to grow antlers | io9 -- [This image may look like something dreamed up for a surreal horror movie, but it's a real horror for the tarantula in question. This unfortunate arachnid is infected with Cordyceps, a parasitic fungus that replaces its host's tissue with its own.]


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The Golden Tortoise Beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata bicolor) is a small, common North American beetle. Most of the time it's an iridescent gold, but when it is disturbed, the beetle alters the reflectivity of its exoskeleton and changes color from gold to red, with ladybug-like markings ( Read more... )

I had a single page of "deep-sea facts" for many years on my website and always intended to update it, but procrastinated until just last night. Probably not much new to wtf_nature, though I couldn't find much mention of the Xenophyophores here ( Read more... )

The rich man's stick insect, better known as the various leaf-mimicking arthropods and frogs, have adapted to their natural leaf and leaf-litter habitats in a really awesome way. Their exoskeletons - or skin, for the frogs - resemble fresh, fallen, and dead leaves, winning them the gold medal in the Camouflage Olympics.

Original article is HERE. ( Read more... )

A rather fascinating page on parasites.

ETA HURRRR, I posted the 1,337th entry!

http://www.cracked.com/article_15926_15-most-bizarre-animal-mating-rituals.html

Some are more common knowledge, but there's a few of what I'd consider more obscure facts tossed in.

I can't believe nobody's posted about these things yet.
Ever since we talked about them in my invertebrate paleontology class, I have had an irrational fear of these creatures. Irrational because they basically feed only on cnidarians and bryozoans and sea anemones and things like that.

May I present, the sea spider:


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Ha! We Australians mock your feeble American ticks. Rocky Mountain spotted fever? Tularemia? Our ticks don't need no steenking microbes to kill you dead, they can do it all by themselves.

Ladies & Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you...

Ixodes holocyclus, the Paralysis Tick

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Hey, my friend pointed this community out to me a few days ago. She said, "This should be right up your alley." Well, she was right!

Anyway, I was unable to locate this via the tags. And, I'm rather surprised if it hasn't been posted before. So, here goes, the thing of my nightmares: The Giant Deep Sea Isopod


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Termite Guts May Yield Novel Enzymes For Better Biofuel Production