JCPL Teens

A few facts for you today:
-The alcon blue butterfly caterpillars will move into an ant colony and mimic the scent and sound of the queen red ant.  The worker ants will then support this faux queen in the lap of luxury and may even kick out the real queen. 

-An african grey parrot named Toby would tease the family dog by saying "Bobby, want to go for a walk?  Want to play with Cooper?  Where's Cooper?  Want to go out?"   After Bobby, the dog, died the parrot didn't say his name.  When Toby made a mess Carolyn the owner would say, "Now see what you've done."  Once when Carolyn dropped a glass Toby said, " Now see what you've done."

-There is the "hot-tailed" California ground squirrel.  This squirrel will raise the temperature of its tail and wave it around to protect against rattlesnakes.  It will only do this around rattlesnakes, which have infrared sensors.

-The body of catfish are covered with taste buds.  With these skin taste buds they are able to detect chemicals coming out of the skin of their prey.  They can locate prey several hundred feet away. 

Want to know more fascinating facts about animal behavior and biology?  Check out the book Bats Sing, Mice Giggle: The Suprising Science of Animals' Inner Lives by Karen Shanor and Jagmeet Kanwal.