Weird Critters
I am fascinated by the strange and weird critters of the world. That is one reason why I took up SCUBA diving.
Here are a few of the strange animals that I find interesting:
Sea Urchins, especially the type commonly found in the Caribbean. These little animals, about the size of a golf ball, are covered on top with spines that often reach five or six inches long! Not something you would want to mess with. Yet they are afraid to sleep alone in the open. Urchins hunt at night and if they can't find a rock to crawl under when the sun comes up, they will cluster together in groups for protection while they sleep.
Salmon. If you put a salt water fish in fresh water it will die. Likewise, if you put a fresh water fish in salt water it will die. Salmon are born in fresh water as fresh water fish. But when it reaches a certain age, it starts to swim toward the sea. As it gets closer to the ocean, it starts changing. By the time it reaches the sea, it will be a salt water fish and spend the next three or four years in the ocean. It thens return inland to the place it was born, changing again into a fresh water fish, where it spawns, then dies.
Cicadas, the Peter Pan bugs. Depending on the particular variety, cicadas spend from one to seventeen years underground living as immature larvae. Once they surface and become adults, they mate then die within a few days.
Arrowhead crab. A crab that looks like a Hershey's kiss with legs! how weird is that?
Here are a few of the strange animals that I find interesting:
Sea Urchins, especially the type commonly found in the Caribbean. These little animals, about the size of a golf ball, are covered on top with spines that often reach five or six inches long! Not something you would want to mess with. Yet they are afraid to sleep alone in the open. Urchins hunt at night and if they can't find a rock to crawl under when the sun comes up, they will cluster together in groups for protection while they sleep.
Salmon. If you put a salt water fish in fresh water it will die. Likewise, if you put a fresh water fish in salt water it will die. Salmon are born in fresh water as fresh water fish. But when it reaches a certain age, it starts to swim toward the sea. As it gets closer to the ocean, it starts changing. By the time it reaches the sea, it will be a salt water fish and spend the next three or four years in the ocean. It thens return inland to the place it was born, changing again into a fresh water fish, where it spawns, then dies.
Cicadas, the Peter Pan bugs. Depending on the particular variety, cicadas spend from one to seventeen years underground living as immature larvae. Once they surface and become adults, they mate then die within a few days.
Arrowhead crab. A crab that looks like a Hershey's kiss with legs! how weird is that?
How interesting Life is, the plant life, the human life, life in the ocean, life under the ground, etc etc. I often wonder if I was not a fish in my last lifetime? lol This life time I am a sguirrel, always busy as a bee....
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Yes. I'll have to do a post sometime on strange plants.
If I can be an elephant and not forget ;>
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I found this very interesting. When I was in Hawaii I got to hold a sea urchin, sea cucumber and a spiny starfish.
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Sea cucumbers, starfish (or sea stars) and sea horses are other interesting ocean critters. I've never seen a seahorse while SCUBA diving. They are very good at hiding.
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