Strange Events in Bio World

Tkho tUrq txr dh vn~Hkqr ?kVuka,a

S . K. BHATNAGAR

‘ lUrks"k ^jru*’
5/108 SFS MANSAROVAR JAIPUR
 i
STRANGE EVENTS IN BIO WORLD
PRAYER

gs izHkks !
dSls d:a vfHkO;Dr viuh Hkkouk
Qwyh u lek jgh vk’p;ZZ ds vfrjsd ls
izÑfr esa latks;s ,d ls c<+dj ,d
fofp= vn~Hkqr vpjt zHkjs –'; tks vkius
tho tUrq jp Hkkafr Hkakfr ds fp= fofp= vkius
fNik fNik thou dgkuh mudh mUgh ds vax vax esa
cuk xq.kksa dk fiVkjk ] jp feyu dh izfØz;k
cka/k dj mls okrkoju dh Mksj ls
tue e`R;q vko’;eHkkoh ?kksf"kr djrs gq,
dfj’ek fd;k vkius vgks dSlk ! lp dSlk !
dqN xq.k gksrs lc izkf.k;ksa esa ,dls
dqN gjsd esa vius vius ,sls fo’ks"k ]
foLe; gksrk jgrk ns[k ns[kdj ftUgsa
vk’p;Z u gks ikrk lgt gh 'ks"k
dhft;s Ñik dj ikaÅ o.kZu dqN bl izdkj
izÑfr ds bl vuwBs dk;Z dyki dk
tks Hkh ns[ks gks tk; vfHkHkwr blls ,slk
Hkj tk; vpjt tfur vkuUn ls euHkh mldk AA
ii
Preface

Once I chanced to glance through

“ 1000 Wonders of Nature” published by Readers Digest
As I flipped through the pages my sense of wonder
Increased by leaps and bounds .
I wished Oh! Only if I could see some of them
with my own eyes; But as that was not possible
my feelings emerged and expressed themselves
in poetic form;
Some of the Great Events have been described accordingly,
followed by few lines about an amazing event(s) in each of
the various animals individual or collective Life illustrating
various phenomena from the examples cited there, with heartful
thanks to the Readers Digest for such a pictorial feast for the
eyes.
Quite a bit of material has been taken from the Internet and
I am thankful to all those who have allowed free download -in
particular to Wikipedia , Pixabay and Unsplash in this regard.

S.K.Bhatnagar
 iii
CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION i MARVELLOUS NATURE

ii WONDERS GALORE
iii AMAZING LIFE FORMS
iv EYE CATCHING ANIMALIA

A THE PRESENT *

WONDERFUL ANIMALS ( I ) & THEIR STRANGE WAYS

1 CONGREGATION 3- 4

2 INGENEOUS WAYS 5- 8

3 REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENTS 9 - 12

i PARENTAL CARE

ii MOULTING

iii METAMORPHOSIS

4 ACQUIRING HOME 13 - 16

5 ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE 17

 6 OH ! WHAT A SENSE 18 - 19

7 HIGH TECH SYSTEMS 20 – 23

i COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
iv

ii VISUALSYSTEMS

8 ANCIENT AGRICULTURE 24 - 25

9 FINDING FOOD 26

10 HYPNOTISM 27

11 IMMORTALITY ! 28

12 OFFENSE & DEFENSE - PEACE OR WAR 29 – 42

i TECHNIQUES

ii TOOLS

iii DECEPTION

iv ARMOURY

v CAMOUFLAGE -DISGUISE & MIMICRY

vi TRICKS

13 COURTSHIP GAMES 43 - 49

14 MOBILITY 50

15 STRANGE MAMMALS 51

WONDERFUL ANIMALS ( II ) --- THE RECORD HOLDERS

 16 JUMP LEAP OR RUN 52 – 54
17 FLOAT AT WILL 55 – 56

v
18 FLYING ACES 57 – 60
19 GREAT JOURNEYS 61 - 64
20 CUES AND SKILLS 65 – 68
21 SIGNALLING 69
20 NOVEL USE 70
20 CONCLUSION 71

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 1
INTRODUCTION

(i) Marvellous Nature

For 4 billion year forces of Nature have been shaping

our planet and its precious living beings
gently and gradually when in a tranquil mood
suddenly taking us with surprise when in a different one
the result is a bewildering array of marvels and spectacles
and the effort to see what lies behind them
is in itself, believe me, quite rewarding indeed .

( ii ) Wonders galore

Nature in its wisdom, for reasons of its own

which we can not fathom but can only speculate upon
has thought it fit to create all by itself alone
a large variety of organisms - forms and creatures
and animate, each one of them with some special features
but has blessed some with some such extraordinary power
which amazes, astonishes, astounds and overwhelms us with wonder .

( iii ) AMAZING LIFE FORMS 2

Although we do not know how and why ,

We are eager to resolve the mystery by and by ,
We unceasingly try and pry,
and where we are unable to uncover why ,
Our curiosity propels us to unearth, how
Nature fashions and works its great wonders, somehow .

Over the surface or under it

Deep inside the oceans belly
or high up in the airy blue sky
wherever we observe with an open eye
we discover a planet teaming merrily
with varieties of vibrating , vivid and lively
forms , pulsating day and night with life ;
( iv ) EYE CATCHING ANIMALIA.
And the forms which first catch our eye
are those which belong to Kingdom Animalia, bhai
similar to us in some respects and differing in others
striking us with singularity and impelling us
to know more and more about them –our co citizens
and learn from them their ways and means and styles of life .
3
1 CONGREGATION :

Whenever and wherever

a large number of animals gather ,
it is a spectacular sight for us
but for them the congregation
is intended to serve a number
of essential purposes of life ;
for they do so out of necessity
to meet , court and mate ,
to feed when supplies are plenty ,
to rest safely in a group and recreate ,
to learn or teach tactics of offense and defense
And to prepare for Annual Migration ,together.:

Each November a 100 million strong marching army

of Red Crabs of Christmas island in Indian ocean embarks timely
on a hazardous journey from its forest home to the beach
to mate, give birth and return with numerous babies following merrily

Underwater ‘Fireworks’ are seen on a December night yearly

4
when millions of Corals of Great Barrier Reef spawn simultaneously .
generating innumerable coloured eggs or sperms floating
‘sparkingly’.

3000 bald Eagles gather in Alaska each November for a lavish feast
of salmons swimming upstream towards their spawning retreat . .
Oh what a scenario- a havoc for poor fishes, and for the birds a treat .

We all have seen Sunflowers tracking the sun, but surprisingly

all the jelly fishes in the lakes of Palau islands of pacific ocean
also do so as a symbiotic duty towards their algal friends daily.

Millions of dazzling yellow male butterflies are drawn to America’s

tropical rivers attracted by mineral rich wet sands on their shores for
sucking the solution and gifting it to females along with their sperms .

July is holiday time for thousands of White Whales gathering

in inlets of Canada’s Arctic to give birth, moult and play cheerfully
chirping, clanging ,screaming, and grunting or whistling joyfully .

5
2 INGENIOUS WAYS

We often forget that after all we are also animals

or that animals are also like us in various ways ;
Come on let us see in realty in how many ways
these off springs of the very same Nature,
facing the struggle for existence like us ,
cope with their challenges by their ingenious ways :

See some of them like Horn Bills of Africa

even give Nuptial gifts like us -and what a gift !
–an insect , frog or even a snake!, when they ‘date’
ending up with female presenting one to her mate .

Like us again they take great care to protect

their Unborn , just born or tiny little off springs
and some adopt unusual practices for the same .
Bitterling a fish of Europe produces ‘Test-tube babies’!
The female seeks a living Mussel and pushing gently
a yellow or red tube into its inhalent siphon deposits
eggs and withdraws ,leaving the male to shed sperms in it gingerly,
6
ensuring babies develop inside the ‘surrogate mother’ safely
and get ejected through its siphon when time to leave comes .
. .
A Shark ‘dog fish’ is as ‘fashionable’ as modern ladies
in arranging for itself a stylish ‘Mermaids purse’ with
beautiful strings-tendrils , but for more important purposes
-that of carrying eggs and ensuring safety of embryonic babies .

In the streams of the desert of Arizona a water bug

copes with great extremes skilfully
The male carries the eggs on its back,
and dutiful father stands on twigs delicately
just below the water’s surface and dances
ensuring their oxygenation repeatedly .

The Mallee fowl of Australia regulates temperature

of its vast nesting mound carefully
using his beak as a thermometer ,
adjusting and altering arrangements suitably
for ensuring constant 33º-34ºC during incubation
with great accuracy , surprisingly .

7
The most bizarre means to protect the young
is adopted by Australian frogs and Toads family ,
with the female, swallowing her fertilized eggs;
and the eggs and tadpoles in her tummy
survive as a surrounding jelly
or secretions let them develop safely
so that when time is ripe to emerge, the tadpoles
merrily hop out of her mouth --albeit awkwardly .

Similarly babies of Aruana fish of Brazil

find refuge in their father’s mouth
as he gulps in the fertilized eggs;
Hatching fishes survive there and swim out
to feed and return to the parental refuge
if lurking danger is sensed there in the out .

Again the Sand tiger sharks hatch while still

inside their mother’s body and just two embryos
survive, one in each uterus, but the two babies
first eat all other eggs and embryos
-their own siblings, and then the unfertilized eggs

8
released by their mother quite regularly ;
Sibling rivalry is of course common in nature,
but such shocking instances are rare luckily .
 9
3 REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENTS

Growth and Development is an essential feature of life

it proceeds differently in different species
in a remarkable way during the course of their life
The most striking phenomena involved being
Parental care, Moultng and Metamorphosis
each one playing very valuable role indeed in
preservation , adaptation and evolution of life.

i PARENTAL CARE

God takes care of His creation in a variety of ways

granting all off springs some natural instincts via DNA
blessing most with Parental care in such a way,
that each species adopts its own distinct style and sway .

In the organisms in which the lifecycle

is completed without parental care
the new born is equipped to be on his own
from day one but in others it is essential
for survival of the offspring and its welfare .:
10 .
In reptiles like snakes , lizards ,crocodiles and tortoises
such care is confined mainly or only to taking care of eggs .

Birds go to a much greater extent as we all know very well

nesting, looking after chicks , feeding and training them pretty well .

Seals are weaned within two weeks and then are on their own
So baby seals moult, changing their camouflage white furry coats
for grey pelt, and enter water to fish for themselves one fine morn.

Queen bee ensures bee milk, pollen and honey

for all its female off springs initially
and thereafter only to those destined to become
Queens of new colonies- Royal Jelly .

ii Moulting

Moulting is another interesting phenomenon

widespread right across phyla of kingdom Animalia
involving, periodical shedding or casting off of
some body part, often an outer layer-cuticle or skin,
fur, feather or hair , in response to seasonal changes
11
as an act of renewal and replacement for adaptation
or else even replacement of the entire exoskeleton
as an essential requirement for growth and not for fun .
.
For Frogs and Snakes renew their skin from time to time
furry animals their coats and colour , antelopes their antlers
and birds don new feathers when seasons change with time
but insects moult several times after their eggs hatch in time,
as larva in instars, then pupa before becoming adult in such stages;
Haven’t we all as kids caught a larva from time to time
watching with pleasure its becoming butterfly after some time .

iii METAMORPHOSIS

Indeed Lifecycle of Arthropoda, and many other phyla sees

such a radical and dramatic transformation- of body forms
appearance and behaviour, in recognizable stages or phases
such as nymphs, chrysalis and a very different adult, that emerges
that it appears as if they were really taking new ‘ Janams ’
visibly involving shedding of old body, like used clothes!
and migration of embryonic cells into their new bodies

12
(along with their soul ! if any !) and makes one wonder
whether this spectacular phenomenon –Metamorphosis, was
inspirer of the pauranic belief in ‘repeated cycles of births’
and ‘transmigration of soul’ in our rishi munis in ancient times !
 13
ACQUIRING HOME

Again for acquiring a home, the animals, like us

have to fend for themselves , learn and use tricks
and techniques , as varied as their requirements
and environments, some so strange, that we wonder .

The Parrotfish camps inside a sleeping bag of its own

-each night in a new one made of secretions- her own
-a transparent slimy jelly that envelops it like a cocoon
in which it sleeps safe and sound from dusk to dawn .

The Clownfish or Anemone fish slips between

the stinging tentacles of dangerous sea anemone
easily performing a feat which no one else can
living inside its hosts belly giving a helping hand .

On the islands off the New Zealand’s coast a reptile

Tuatara makes a bird’s nest, tunnelled on cliff tops
by petrels and others, its home, moving in in their absence
and continues to live there with them , eating their eggs ,
acting as a self appointed caretaker for more than 120 years .
14
A Hermit crab looks for an abandoned empty shell
slips in and makes it his home, if it suits him well
and manages to coax a sea anemone on to its shell
to act as a guard ; and keeps on moving from shell to shell
taking care of growing needs, taking his guard along, they tell . .

A parasitic Fluke or flatworm’s eggs get inside a grazing snail

which happens to swallow them by chance with birds dropping’s trail
and on hatching change the hosts behaviour making it an easy pray
to birds and so birds belly becomes its next home and landing on grass
with their droppings reach once again their earlier one in a snail.

In America some ducks like Clark’s grebe hitch a hike

on weeds and ensure a floating nest in the middle of the lake .

In the deserts of USA gilded Flicker birds safely nest

for a season among spiky ribs of giant saguaro cactus
and when they move out elf Owl becomes the next tenant .
Animals are also expert Master builders-very much like us !
In fact the Nature’s potters , weavers, and paper makers or
construction engineers , tailors and others succeed in creating
15
some such extraordinary homes which keep on amazing us .

Female potter wasp crafts a shapely clay-pot –a vase

with a bulbous base and slender neck ,stuffs it and uses
it as a nursery in which its only egg hatches and grows .

Swifts and swiftlets need nothing but their own saliva

to spin a translucent white cup like edible nest sought after
for ‘birds nest soup’ a delicacy in southeast Asia .

Spiders build an enormous variety of webs

such as European garden spider’s enormous orb webs
made of 65 ft of silk meeting at 1000 junctions !
of 0.5 mg supporting spider heavier by 4000 times .!

‘ Hammock’ webs of tiny money spider , Scaffold webs

of a Therididae and webs of golden orb spider are made
of dragline silk -the strongest natural fiber known to humans.
European water spider weaves an underwater silken sheet, anchors
it to a weed, swims to surface, captures a bubble of air and drags
it under water, traps it beneath her sheet, which arches
16
to form a bell - a safe home duly equipped with a supply of air,
inside which she lies in wait to prey and lay her eggs .
.
Female Indian tailorbird sews a nest picking a silken thread
from a spiders web and stitching together two living leaves
that blend in well with the other green leaves around ;

However, male weaver bird of Kenya does not weave but uses
complex knots to build a sturdy light nest to lure females ..

Paper wasps build a nest of hexagonal cells

from home crafted paper- mache made
by chewing wood and mixing it with saliva
for nursing their young in paper cradles .
 17
ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

The Beavers are matchless among mammals

in engineering and architecture-for they dam streams ,
dig channels and construct lodges- huge domed edifices
like experts from mud, reeds ,sticks and stones
complete with chambers and underwater entrances .

Termites are known for building architectural masterpieces .

unique towering spires, domes and pyramids-with an impressive
outside and a sophisticated inside –complete with larders, gardens,
air conditioning systems, nurseries, living chambers, cells, wells ,
chimneys and royal chambers in their well designed mounds
nay castles of mud housing a million of the Queen’s subjects . .
 18
OH ! WHAT A SENSE

Like us the animals also require a battery of senses

for various purposes including tracking down food
but some rely more on one more highly developed
sense than another and it makes all the difference :

The Starfish , Kiwis , dogs ,wolves, and many others

rely mainly on their power of smelling through ‘nose’
but ‘nose’ of Kiwi is in its beak , of starfish in its arms !
and of Indonesia’s Komodo dragon is in its tongue, hence
it can ‘taste’ the slightest trace of smell-even single molecules .
Kiwis can smell worms 3 cms underground
and Grey wolves their prey 2.5 kms away .

Eagles, hawks, kites and scavenger birds

have a very keen eyesight but frogs can’t
‘see’ well, even though they have large eyes
and detect prey’s moves using special receptors
in the retina at the back of their eyes .

Aantelopes and foxes rely on highly sensitive ears ;

19
In fact bat-eared foxes of Africa listen for insects
under the ground-even termites moving inside tunnels .

But hexapoda Pond skaters ,although they have no ‘ears’

find their prey by detecting ripples in water ;In fact they are
natural mathematicians catching insects trapped in water’s
surface film by calculating the direction of origin of ripples .

The Pipistrelle bat of North America has

a built in barometer –the Vitali organ in its ears
with which this cave dweller can sense whether or
not weather outside is favourable for hunting insects .
 20
HIGH TECH –(i) LOCATION SYSTEMS

Animals evolved high-tech location systems

like sonar and radar systems, infra red heat sensors
and sensors of electrical activity much before Man
millions of years ago to find their way and prey :.

The Duck-billed Platypus uses his snout

to detect electric current in its prey’s muscles
enabling it to find food with its eyes, ears and
the nostrils closed, in river water where he hunts

The Sperm whales bounce sound off objects

and analyse echoes to locate prey like Dolphins
but their echolocation system is more powerful
and so strong that their ear splitting salvos of sound
energy stun or kill their prey acting like loud gunshots .
The virtually blind Electric eels uses electricity
to find its way and prey- it produces low level discharges,
which create an electric field around its entire body,
and are of several hundred volts which shock and stun or kill prey .
21
Dolphins ‘see’ with sound their way and their prey
such as a shoal of fish, by a highly sophisticated
echolocation system which indicates the size, shape and
structure of a target and whether prey is calm or frightened .

In case of Bats also the echolocation system

is so accurate that it can tell size, texture, speed, and
direction of prey with their radar like scanning system .
.
The Owls use feathers on their face to collect sounds
and focus them on their ears to detect and pinpoint prey
accurately even in complete darkness for mid night feasts.

Sharks have evolved a remarkable array of seven prey-

detection systems enabling it to home in on its prey 2 km away ,
smell blood from 0.5 km , pick up changes of pressure
produced by moving prey at 100 m, see its prey 25m away
even in dim light, detect minute electric currents produced
by heart or muscles and locate fishes, even those buried in sand .

22
( ii ) VISUAL SYSTEMS

Nature has, over several millennia, evolved super sight

in many animals creating eyes of diverse shapes and sizes
developing sophisticated visual equipment in many animals :

Eight eyes make Jumping spider a great all-rounder

Its six small and two large eyes give it almost 360º vision
and it uses the small ones to detect movement and the
large ones for precise tracking of prey with its sharp vision .

Big eyed aerial predators-the birds of prey

have a binocular three dimensional vision
enabling them to spot small animals far far away; ,
Indeed some like Eurasian Kestrel having a UV vision
can spot a prey from a height of 1.6 km and African
martial Eagle can swoop down on a prey 6 km away .
Chameleon can see in all directions at once from a pair
of rotating eyes, operating independently, and pinpoint prey
with its binocular vision as also look for prey
and watch for the predators simultaneously .
23
Similarly Opossum Shrimp of a coral reef virtually carries
a pair of binoculars as each of its two compound eyes
has hundreds of tiny facets, which give it a honeycomb
view of the world ,and a large lens which points backward
while small lenses look forward in moving shrimps . .

Scallop, a sea bed Mollusc, has several scores of

tiny bright blue bead like eyes lining the edges of
both halves of its shell , simple but capable of
sensing even the shadow forms of a predator .
So Indr devta having hundreds of eyes no longer
jars and appears to be a distinct possibility , Isn’t sir.!
 24
AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

If we men think we had invented agriculture

or animal husbandry we are wrong as their
true discoverers are our distant cousins of the
line of Arthropoda- class Insecta in particular .

Even today some European ants nurture and tend herds

of Aphids and mealy bugs . Their workers-‘gwalas’ ‘milk’
aphids, like ‘cows’!, by stroking them with antennae
to encourage production of honeydew,- ‘their milk’,!
and take out their herds of ‘cattle’-aphids and mealy bugs
for ‘grazing’ good green foliage in lush ‘pastures’!
.
Workers of Australian Honey pot ants
are fed honeydew which they store inside
their abdomens and act as living storage jars
ready to provide for colony in times of stress besides.
The ultimate agriculturists are the leaf cutter ants
of South America which cut up fresh green leaves

25
and carry the bits to their colony’s nest for fungus
cultivation ; they ‘weed’ the ‘garden’ of ‘aliens’
and ‘harvest’ chunks of fungus for their feasts . .
 26
FINDING FOOD

Finding food is different from collecting or capturing it;

And many animals have evolved highly specialized organs
or parts -mouth, hand or feet to be able to do it efficiently .

The Hawk moth has a proboscis or ‘tongue’ twice as long as

its body –the longest of all known moths and butterflies
which it uses like a drinking straw to sip nectar from plants
having tubular flowers while still hovering on its wings .
 27
HYPNOTISM

Don’t think men only could hypnotise others

and only devi, devtas and rakshasas or Asurs
could change form and assume different ‘roops’
for the animals had mastered the art aeons ago ;
In fact
Moving stealthily an Octopus or Cuttlefish, mesmerizes
its prey with its ever-changing pattern of stripes ,spots ,
and blotches and to add to the confusion of the victim
its body changes shape and colour several times
blending with the background as it approaches the victim.;
May be both Gods and devils had taken a tip from these !.
 28
BIO IMMORTALITY !

Again
it is not that only famous Chyavan rishi knew how
to become young once again- for the jelly fishes
have been practicing this art from ancient times anyhow
and that too without taking, well, Chavan prash, somehow!

Although many live long avoiding senescense

going on renewing themselves again and again
One by name Turritopsis is indeed ,you see
more famous as Immortal jelly fish of the sea .
 29
OFFENCE & DEFENSE

Attack and defense or peace and war

are not problems of only our world
It is part of struggle for existence
of all creatures in this world
i TECHNIQUES

Jelly fishes also specialize in causing instant death ;

The stinging cells on the tentacles of a jelly fish
like Portuguese-man-of-war discharge a barbed whip,
in fraction of a second, and lash the prey with great speed
delivering a powerful venom causing sudden death.

Many animals socialize and carry on cooperative hunting

but one of the Nature’s Masterpieces certainly is blowing
of bubbles in unison by some whales during ‘echelon feeding’ .
In fact half a dozen Humpback whales work closely together
to create a ‘net’ of bubbles for rounding up prey with it, and forming
a circle below the shoal ,begin to blow light reflecting bubbles
frightening the prey, and rise, screaming and driving them in their
gaping mouths together .

30
ii TOOLS

At one time it was thought that humans were the only living creatures
to use tools .Now we know that animals, including other mammals,
birds, and insects, have discovered that tools can help them to acquire a
meal :

Sea Otters of American coast use a stone as a tool

-.as a hammer or anvil to break open shells of clams,
crabs, mussels,- its favourite, and other molluscs .

Certain vultures of East Africa are committed stone-throwers

and crack, by hitting with stone, even hard shelled Ostrich eggs
or smash, by dashing on ground, a pelican’s or flamingo’s eggs.

An anvil is also the preferred tool of the African mongoose ..

The European Song thrush also smashes snails against a stone .

European red-backed shrike the ‘butcher bird’ impales

its prey -a locust or lizard or surplus food on thorns or barbs.

The Woodpecker Finches of Galapagos breaks off a spine

of a cactus and holding it in its bill uses it to probe and winkle
31
out any hard to reach insect or grub hidden inside a hole or crevice .

The Green-backed Heron makes its own fishing bait-a live one
of an insect or an artificial one of feather or twig etc and throws it on
water surface to lure prey within stabbing range of its sharp bill .
 32

iii DECEPTION & DISGUISE

In the art of Deception and Ambush for attack and defence

also the animals excel and assuming sophisticated strategies.
for stealth, invisibility, disguise, pretence etc do not hesitate
to adopt even pretty nasty tricks for their unwary victims ;
And many animals are really Masters of disguise :

The Jumping spider has perfected this art by mimicking

the green weaver ant, its prey, to the extant of imitating
its shape ,eyes, antenna ,the way it moves and looks
to confuse both the prey and the predators,

But Master of disguise is Mantis as it is skilled in the art of

masquerade, mimicking the exact shape, texture and colour of a leaf or
flower and, hue of a petal and even rocks gently like leaves or petals in
slight breeze .
USA’s freshwater turtle lures prey by a small bright pink
ribbon of flesh, on its tongue, looking like a worm ;
Similarly Australian Pit Viper snakes attracts prey by
33
highly visible lure ,at the end of its tail, looking like worm .

To hunt African black Heron turns itself into a canopy

by stretching its wings like an umbrella to trick its prey
in believing It’s shadow is that of a rock and a safe refuge

iv ARMOURY

.
Poets the world over often characterize nature as peaceful, calm
and gentle, but reality is very different from this soothing day-dream;
For In the battle for survival, evolution has created a deadly armoury
of weapons--swords, arrows , electric shocks, chainsaws, chemicals
and poisons , all being part of its mind boggling noxious arsenals .

The Sun spider which can crush small mammals, lizards

and birds by its powerful jaws, has sensory organs in its legs ,
and homes in on its prey by detecting ground vibrations .
Stinging capsules of Box jelly fish of Australia
shoot out a deadly toxin paralyzing its prey .

34
Small Cookie-cutter Shark ,with luminous under parts,
becomes invisible by adjusting the amount of emitted light
and homing on a prey darts for a big bite of its flesh in a flash .

From shoes ,cans, nails etc on one hand and jellyfish, crabs ,snakes
turtles and birds to seals ,dolphins, even other sharks the dangerous
Tiger Shark can eat anything and every thing due to a set of vicious
serrated teeth that are curved and notched and usable as a chainsaw .

Archer fish takes aim with a water gun by firing a jet of water
while remaining under water , on an insect much above water
with great accuracy ,enabling it to dislodge victim it for its meal .

Unique weapon of a Sword fish –its ‘sword’, formed from its pointed
snout, is used to plunging in , slashing, slapping and stunning fishes .

A Boxer or Pompom Crab of Hawaii holds her Anemone friend aloft

and punches the enemy in the face with this living stinging boxing
glove .
v CAMOUFLAGE

Many animals specialize in camouflage for attack using elaborate

combinations of colour, shape, and behaviour creating disguise; some
35
blend with the background ,others masquerade as different animals .

The Carpet shark looking like an underwater boulder lies still on sea
bed with fleshy fringes dangling from lips like algae ,its skin mottled
like rock and encrusted with algae completes the disguise .

Crab spiders catch their prey unawares by changing colour to match

their lair usually a flower by controlling the amount of pigment in skin

Nestled among the leaf on forest floor the Gaboon Viper ‘disappears’
,its shape broken up by bold markings of black, brown, buff and grey,
and head like a fallen leaf, it lies in ambush, merged with surroundings .
.
Larvae of Lacewing of Florida steal wax from ,mealy bugs, their prey
and covering themselves with this wax live incognito among the prey .

Just as some creatures disguise to kill, others do so for defense and try
to look like surroundings using stripes, lights, or colour changes in a
trice.
Some fish such as Viper fish carry their own light ‘bulbs’
which they can brighten and dim to order to be able to blend
in with the ambient light and their outline melts away .
36
Masters at colour change, flat fish blend in superbly
with grainy sea bed. The ‘Founders’ can even reproduce
checker board, a design not found anywhere in Nature .

Tawny frogmouth nesting on a tree in Australia looks

just like a lichen covered broken stump of wood as
its blotchy brown plumage blends well with the trunk .

When it rains, the ‘Sloth’ turns green due to algae growing in its
coarse coat enabling it to blend with green vegetation ;
In dry season algae turn brownish enabling it to merge with dry trunks .

Animals sometimes work together to create group camouflage

to fool predators as in Madagascar insects such as Phiatids have
brilliant coloured wings which when massed together fool bird
predators into thinking they are just petals of no interest to them.
In fact many animals are great pretenders and ensure safety
by being great confidence tricksters and trying to fool enemies
either by looking like something inedible or by adopting
the persona of a different , more dangerous creature .

37
Actually the harmless American Hawkmoth caterpillar can
quickly disguise itself as a tree snake flicking a ‘tongue’ in
and out of a ‘snake’s head’ like end and a pair of false eyes ;
From the triangular snake Head to the glint in the eye it is
in fact one of the World’s top impersonators of snakes .

Some of the ‘dead leaves’ which float in the American rivers

are in fact alive and well, being ‘Leaf fishes’ looking like leaves,
with colour , shape, stalk and ribs matching a leaf almost exactly .

Tiny Hippolyte prawn is a technicolour versatility capable of

mimicking all the colors of rainbow and handling patterns and textures
including exact colour ,shade, structure ,vein, and grain of a floating
dead leaf .
The Horned frog has a mottled brown colouration. Leaf-like
projections on its head ,above its eyes ,and on its elbows and legs along
with twig like mouth help it to merge with surroundings. and look like
leaf litter around it .
The leafy Sea dragon from Australia looks so much like sea weed
that small fish sometimes take refuge in its foliage.They are covered
from head to tail in fleshy skin flaps which ,like fronds of vegetation
float and sway with the swell, and it is almost impossible to locate it
38
amongst kelps As a second line of defense it has a bony armour and
spines which make it inedible and it moves around safe and sound.

Wasps can inflict a nasty sting, and their black- and- yellow outfit
is copied by bees, moths, flies and other insects to scare predators .

Worlds most extraordinary impersonator is ,however, Mimic Octopus

having multiple personalities with its ability to adopt 15 different
characters by changing from sting rays to sea snakes to
sand anemones to, blenny fishes to shrimps and so on due to its
control over colour , shape and behaviour . .

vi TRICKS

Animals have an amazing array of tricks designed to startle, frighten

and surprise an aggressor in an effort to quickly escape from predator .
Russian ‘Glass snake’ –a legless lizard when threatened ‘shatters’ its
tail into several wriggling, writhing pieces confusing the predator and
enabling it to escape unhurt and still capable of re growing its tail .

39
The Octopus , Cuttle fish and Squids squirt ink straight into enemies
face , creating instant black cloud enabling them to run away quickly,
with ‘‘heels’ over their heads’ and escape cleverly .;
hence called Cephalopods (feet over head) by biologists correctly .

The warty Prow fish of Australia responds to danger by instantly

producing a mask of smoke like cloud of toxic fluid and escape safely.

A Springtail larva acts like a gymnast performing a routine of twists

high leaps, somersaults and back flips -when startled it releases an
appendage which catapults it through air and out of immediate danger
with a show of acrobatics !.

Lizard Horny toad adopts a grotesque bloody way to escape by

responding to attack by shooting a jet of blood accurately from its eyes
greatly shocking the enemy and ensuring that the aggressor backs off
without harming.
When attacked ,the luminous shrimp of the Atlantic dazzles its enemy
in a novel way with a show of flashing lights startling the predator and
enabling it to slip away .

40
When Sea cucumber is attacked , in desperation, it vomits
its entrails-some through the mouth some through its anus
shocking and entangling the attacker and drowning it .

The basilisk lizard of America pulls a stunt and sprints upright,

buoyed by toe fringes , running across the lake at high speed without
sinking that leaves pursuer high and dry and earning the name of
River crosser or Jesus Christ lizard .

Arctiid Moths have ‘ears’ to hear a bat approach and a sound alarm of
rapid clicks that ‘tell’ a bat not to bother it ; and Tiger moths react by
clicks similar to that of bats effectively jamming bat’s information
processing system a precursor of modern frequency jamming system !.

Some animals protect themselves by natural ‘armour’ and ‘weapons’

such as Deadly daggers, fearsome spears ,needle-sharp spines, and
venomous stings in self defense .
Bizzare looking ‘Thorny devil’ Moloch appears bigger and scarier
than it really is due to mass of large prickly spines and succeed in
bluffing the predator .

41
Vulernable looking Potto of Africa a primate conceals a fearsome
weapon, a phalanx of spines ; sufficient to dissuade an invader.

And a line of warty knobs along the sharp-ribbed Salamander’s flank

gives away its extraordinary defense mechanism and it can easily face
even snakes that way.;

The giant Armadillo of South America is the most heavily armoured

animal alive .

At the slightest danger the ‘ Porcupine fish ’ transforms

itself into football sized balloon covered in sharp spines .

Many animals use deadly chemicals in offense or defense .

Vivid pink black and yellow green maroon blue spots of ‘Arrow-poison
frogs’ of America act as warning colours and along with very powerful
poison and antibiotics in its skin provide good defense .

Hissing loudly the luridly coloured Lubber grasshopper foams at the

mouth and thorax in self defense .as the bursting bubbles release a
pungent gas as a protective mist and is sufficient to dissuade any
42
predator .

Deadly Bulldog ants of Australia ,relatives of fire ants bite and sting at
the same time and bound through the air towards intruders using
chemicals for communication ,orientation and defense .

Caterpillars of European Pine saw fly use a chemical trick to confuse

or kill a scouting messenger ant by dabbing its head and antennae with
a gum which acts as a danger signal for other ants .

Termites have an arsenal of chemical weapons and some species use a

squirt gun on their heads to shoot toxins at the enemy .

Many animals seek safety in size and/or numbers like heavy weight
Musk oxen ,white Rhino and blue whales-the later being largest
animals on earth today.
Cassowarys are known for their vicious powerful Dagger feet
and Whale sharks have skin as tough as an armour .

43
COURTSHIP GAMES

For continuing their line many ,if not most, animals adopt courtship
tactics, fight rivals, indulge in displays and dances and play the mating
games ;the competition is fierce and to succeed in mating games they
use every possible colour, sound and some very strange behaviour .:

American Male red sided garter snakes begin a frenzied race at just
one whiff of female’s sex hormones which they can ‘taste’ by flicking
their tongue in air .

In Malaysian swamps trees sparkle with thousands of female

Pyrophorous fire flies signalling their mates with a magical light show
in the mangroves.

Indian Moon moth has the most acute sense of smell in nature-it can
smell a single molecule of female sex hormone scent from up to 5 kms
away .

Green stink bugs sing and ‘telephone’ each other using body vibrations
sent as signals along plant stems utilizing the later as telegraph wires .

44
When Zebra stallions fight for a female their battles follow a set of
precise, complex rules-- like kaurav –pandav ?

Sea anemones are known for slow motion under water battles ;although
delicate they are armed with lethal stinging cells laden with poison
which rivals fire off in vollies at each other .

BY HOOK OR CROOK

‘Everything is fair in love and war’ is not man’s monopoly

animals also ‘believe in it’ , nay practice it merrily ;
sharing many traits with us and among themselves
propelled by natural instincts they are also carried away willy nilly
by forces of attraction and repulsion as we do and perhaps
play the game better than us - more sincerely and interestingly !

Male adder snakes perform an extraordinary display of gymnastics as

a test of their strength and dancing spirally put off their rivals.

Male frigate bird of Galpagos isles attracts females by puffing out

its gaudy bright red throat pouch inflating and vibrating it ,
clapping his bill noisily and waving his wings .
45
Australian Lyre bird is known for its talent of impersonation as it can
duplicate the calls of 16 other bird s; Other species such as parrot’s
screeches other birds songs and even dog’s barks .

European Great crested Grebe’s dazzling water dance is very famous .

In fact its mating dance is one of Nature’s most intricate
‘pas de deux’ ; Actually mated pairs progress first to a ‘discovery
display.’ and then to a ‘retreat display’ dashing across water diving and
rising and thereafter to an intimate ‘ weed dance’ in which pressed
together the two grebs tread water and rise up neck to neck, breast to
breast each flicking a beakful of weed from side to side .

As Salmon migrate towards their spawning beds, both sexes undergo

dramatic physical changes in preparation to mate—when female’s body
fills with eggs , Atlantic salmon Cocks skin changes colour –becomes

reddish, his head elongates ,his jaws enlarge and a hook develops on
the lower jaw ; other species also undergo conspicuous changes –silvery
Sockeye salmon’s back arches, his head turns green and body scarlet
and he develops fierce set of teeth ; and there after males battle over
females .

46
Thatched huts , lichen-covered bridges, canopies ,silvery stages ,blue
tinted walls, maypoles, towers ,and alleys carpeted with sparkling
jewels-these are just some of the Australian Bower bird’s fabulous
constructions .

The male Stickleback turns red and he dances to attract the female fish
and to take her to the dome shaped mud ‘nest’ built by him and there
he tends the eggs and tries to oxygenate the water around them.

Mayflies are known for their acrobatic dance of death ;their larvae live
up to 3 years but when time comes they float to the surface of water to
breed and die in just one day ; First they moult as pre adult ,then
minutes later into an adult and when a female rises to join the swarm the
males dance mate and die all in a day .

The mating game in Nature has many other peculiarities,-

From hermaphroditism to sex changes we come across most weird and
wonderful practices. In fact :

In some species males are literally devoured by their partners while

mating .
47
Male Cephalpods including Octopus , Cuttlefish and Squid wrap their
sperms into neat parcels and during mating push them through female’s
breathing tube-( its ‘nose’ ! ) and into her genital duct where sperms
spill out to fertilize eggs .

Many molluscs are hermaphrodites .-when two such individuals mate,

both will produce a batch of fertilized eggs .

Sex change is a common phenomenon in some species :

Dusky slug changes sex with age-beginning life as male it turns into a
female as it develops.;

In Clown fish of Great barrier reef if the dominant female dies its
partner –dominant male turns into female ; but among Blue headed
Wrasse of the Atlantic if a dominant male dies the largest female turns
into male.
Shark courtship is a complex manoeuvre requiring the male to ‘dock’
along side the female ;It has two sex organs to enable him to dock on
left or right side with the help of claspers and the sperms are transferred
using a muscle driven hydraulic system into female .
48
For Praying Mantis males, sex is a dangerous activity since male is
on female’s menu and it tends to eat them during copulation .However
,the threat of death does not damage a male’s sex drive. In fact ,once
the males head has been chewed off, a nervous reflex causes him to
copulate more vigorously--;and only if he carefully avoids her fore legs
and makes hasty retreat can he avoid being eaten .

Kidnapping and Child marriage are a curse not only for Indian humans
for Male Hamadryas Baboons kidnap young females from their mothers
to add to their personal harems .

Male spiders of some varieties try wooing the females with a nuptial
gift of an insect wrapped in silken cocoon and enter courtship cautiously
to avoid being eaten by the larger predatory female .

One species of American Catfish has an unusual mating technique

whereby the female drinks the male’s sperms .
The desert living male decorated cricket courts his mate by offering her
a delicious meal as a tasty gift.-As the male mates he transfers two
things –a capsule full of sperm and a large blob of a gelatinous
substance to eat .
49
When African species of Velvet worm is ready to mate it sticks sperms
on any part of females body and they are absorbed through skin and
allowed to swim to eggs inside .; But Australian species have bumps
and syringe like shapes on their head and the male takes out and carries
sperms on his head and then delivers them to female by poking his
head into her cloaca .
 50
MOBILITY

One characteristic feature of animals is their motility or mobility ;

In fact over millions of years they have evolved many varieties of
means of moving around to suit their respective circumstances ;
And some of them display really very interesting and notable ability.

NOTABLES

The caterpillars of moths and butterflies have 3 pairs of true legs called
‘ walking legs’ at the front (on thorax) and 6 pairs of false feet at the
back (on abdomen) to move in a rippling fashion ;some even spin a
carpet of silk to help them to move over smooth surfaces .
 51
STRANGE MAMMALS

Mole rat is a mammal that behaves like a bee living in underground

colonies dominated by a queen which alone gives birth to young ,others
acting as subordinates looking after her and her babies like worker bees
and capable of excavating in a regimented way .

Duck billed Platypus is a mammal which lays eggs like a bird ?

Kangaroo is a mammal which nurtures half developed embryonic

offspring in an external pouch unlike anyone else ..
 52
WONDERFUL ANIMALS ( ii ) EXTRAORDINARY RECORD HOLDERS
JUMP LEAP OR RUN

High jumping humble flea is a World record breaker . It can jump up to

130 times its own length –equivalent of a person jumping over Eiffel
tower .; And it can do so 500 times per hour nonstop for 3 or 4 days .

American bull frog can leap 9 times its own length; and that of South
Africa 40 times its own length—the equivalent of an Olympic long
jump champion leaping between trees and branches,

Agile bush babies of West Africa move rapidly throughout the forest
canopy at night ,in search of insects to feed, .,covering 33ft in 5
seconds or less ;.and such is the accuracy and speed of movement that
grasshoppers and moths may be caught on the wing .

SPEED SPECIALISTS
Fast moving predators and prey try constantly to outdo each other in a
race that means life or death .

Road runner ‘Cuckoo’ of America is the Cheetah of the bird world-

It has a clownish gate but can run at the speed of 42 Km/h –
53
moving 12 steps a second and using its tail as a rudder that can turn the
bird 900 degrees without slowing .

Fast moving Sun spiders are fastest animals on 8 legs moving in short
busts exceeding 16 km / h.

The Sailfish is oceans fastest fish clocking 110 km/h. in short bursts but
the blue fin Tuna reaches nearly 110 km/h in longer run .

The champion racers include Peregrine’s of eagle family which stoop

or dive at 240 km/h, making them fastest animals on earth capable of
striking down its prey mid air;

White throated Spine tailed swift achieves a flapping soaring speed of

170 km/h during its courtship displays and also soar aerobatically on
thermal currents;
While Magnificent Frigate bird is credited with 154 km / h ;

Cheetah the swiftest land mammal at 97 Km / h but the gazelles

reaching 80 km / h can run longer without overheating .;

54
Australian dragon fly is the title holder of fastest flying insect with
speed of 98km/h and capable of intercepting other insects on the wing
and challenged only by male horsefly pursuing female at 145 km / h;

Tiger beetles are among the fastest animals on six legs ,sprinting at
50 cm/second making it faster than world’s top human sprinter;

Honeybees can flap their wings speedily at 300 b/s .

Many animals are at home in water; to survive they have developed

many different ways of floating and moving .

The Sperm whale is the deepest diving mammal-in the oceans and can
dive to a depth of 3300ft at a rate of 560ft per minute and owes this
ability due to oil filled tubes in spermaceti organ in its head .

When diving to great depths Elephant seals sleep during their journey
up and down-to and from 2246 ft under water where they can stay up to
2 hours and take cat naps on the way.

55
Deep diving Emperor Penguin has small stones in its stomach that
help it to dive like a scuba diver wearing a weight belt; At the surface it
travels by ‘porpoising’ at 11 km/h; They then ‘toboggan’ across the ice
from the sea to their nesting rockery on Antarctic main land .

For high speed escapes Squids rely on jet propulsion, controlled by a

nervous system with the largest nerve cells in any animal, Their hose
like siphon below the head squirts water at high pressure propelling it
@ 33 km / h .
 56
Designed to float :

Sharks have aerofoil-like pectoral fins that give them lift as long as
they move forward ;

In Whales and Basking Sharks the oil filled liver occupies most of
the body cavity allowing them to float motionless on the surface ;

Coelacanths and Lantern fish keep afloat by having waxy materials in

their bodies ;

Most Bony fishes have an O2 rich air filled swim bladder which adjusts
to maintain buoyancy .

The Portuguese man of war has a purple bag like float that sits on the
surface of the sea while its tentacles trail through the water for 30 ft .
The Pearly Nautilus maintains buoyancy by adjusting the ratio of gas
and fluid contained in its shell chambers .

57
FLYING ACES

Bumble bee is an accomplished flyer with wings beating at 130-

200 times @ 10 ft /second and the secret is that its wings are not
rigid and can bend and twist generating lift on both fore and
back strokes .

Arctic Bumblebee is also known for its vigorous warm up act ;

Before it takes off it twitches the muscles that power its wings
and the warmth they generate heats its body to 25º C
reminding us of Gods ,rishis and munis who could generate
heat through yogic krea and continue sadhna, dhyan
etc in Himalayan heights as well virtually without clothes.

Dragon fly has 4 wings capable of creating whirl winds and

vortices in the air . Each wing moves in a figure of 8 pattern and
with their configuration it can fly in any direction without
turning its body while hovering on one spot .and this is going on
for the last 320 million years .

58
European Swift eats , drinks, sleeps, preens, collects nest
material and mates on the wing . Youngsters that have just left
the nest may be aloft nonstop for hours continuously on an epic
flight .

Migrating Butterflies rival many birds as long range

World travellers covering vast distances,-up to a thousand
km- and flying even at great heights ; -In fact
‘tortoise shells’ have been seen in Himalayas at 19000 ft .

Swans use winds to travel long distance flying at great height up

to 27000 ft clocking up to 139 km/h hitching a ride on strong
winds in the lower stratosphere .

Frigate birds are such speedy acrobatic flyers they can steal
food from other seabirds mouth; Further skimming the ocean
surface at full speed they can pluck fish or squid from just
beneath the surface and can even catch flying fish as they leap
from the water .

59
Humming birds can fly forwards, backwards, sideways, straight
up or down ,and even upside down .They can hawk for insects at
high speed and hover in front of flowers as its shoulder joint
where wings are attached can move in all directions .

The flying fish escapes danger by flying above the surface of

water, using greatly elongated pectoral fins, gliding at 65 km/h .

Amphibians paragliding between tropical tree tops include

flying frogs which use the webbing between their extra long toes
to glide between trees –travelling up to 50 yards between trees .

Flying squirrel of America extends the flaps or webs of furred

skin on either side of its body for gliding and parachutes from
tree to tree in its leaps for safety .
In South east Asia Flying Snakes take off from a high branch
and glide to the next tree using muscles to spread their ribs wide
and undulating through air travelling up to 65 ft in a single flight
..
60
Flying lizards are common in south east Asia including Gliding
Dragons and flying Gecko which enable them to dodge danger .

Similarly Australian Flying Possum and gliders look like

rectangular kites in the air complete with furry tail .
 61
ATHLETES

Animals are capable of effortless athletics and many species

unwittingly chalk up remarkable records while going about
their daily lives .

Magnificent Marlin’s streamlined bodies enable them to swim

faster than 110 km/h.As a marlin starts to attack, its silvery body
changes colour and a pattern of dark stripes appears along
its flanks. No body knows why .

The record for flying the highest over land by any bird is held by
the Chough .This member of crow family flies regularly at
11500-20500 ft in the Himalayas and at times up to 27017 ft .
 62

Great journeys

On long migrations shore birds such as Red knots sandpipers

and turnstones always congregate at traditional places to refuel :

During spring migration In US at Delaware bay on Atlantic coast

1.5 million Waders heading north drop down to rest and feed ;

Huge flocks of semi palmated Sandpipers continue their spring

migration after feasting on eggs of horse shoe crabs which
emerge in thousands from sea each depositing 80000 eggs in
sand ;
In fact 50 000 Sandpipers alone eat 6 billion eggs weighing
27 tons .
And flocks of Waders and Gulls between 100000-250000 to a
beach crowed noisily to a beach;
In one foray Albatross may journey up to 14500 km , covering
900 km in 24 hours, and flying day and night with few stops at
speeds of about 80 km/h .
63

Leatherback turtles-World’s largest turtles are air breathing

reptiles yet , use deep sea ways to travel on long and unexpected
migrations such as those from Surinam in S. America to
Scotland 6960 km away .following contours of under water
canyons and mountains diving down up to 3280 ft . .

Arctic Terns embarking upon the longest journeys known-from

‘pole’ to ‘pole’ nest in Arctic and fly to Antarctic and back
every year –a round trip of 40,000 km .by different routes .;
Shear waters cover 32000 km a year on their migration around
Pacific ocean .

In the Atlantic the Sand bar Shark ventures up to 3200 km ;

And Green turtles undertake journey up to 2200 km .;

Monarch butterflies travel 2000-3000 km from Canada to
Mexico wintering on butterfly trees, mate in spring and head
north laying eggs as they go and die-and the offspring continue
the journey north .
64
Each spring the Grey Whales set out on a 20400 km round trip
from California to Arctic and back .

Epic journeys are a way of life for the Caribou of arctic Canada.
Hundreds and thousands of Caribou travel 1000 km in each
Direction between summer breeding grounds of Tundra and
wintering area of Taiga.

Common eels undertake an unusual migration swimming

thousands of Kms as ‘silver eels’ from river to sea to spawn and
die ;The eggs develop into larvae which travel to rivers and on
entering fresh water the larvae change into ‘glass eels’; As they
swim up stream their colour deepens and they become
‘yellow eels’ and start return journey after 6-7 years .when time
for reproduction comes and they head for
 65
CUES & SKILLS

Animals use all kinds of cues to find their way across the world
and back again .Land marks, position of the Sun in day and stars
by night and even earths invisible lines of force in the earths
magnetic field are their reference points.

Desert locusts follow a storm . The first sign of a coming swarm

is a faint cloud on the horizon and as it comes closer
sky darkens and is engulfed by flying and hopping insects ;each
locust steers by the sun aiming to reach a place where it can see
that rain is falling by instinctively flying downwind carrying the
swarm into area of low pressure .

Amazing memory of a species of fish of west indies-the Goby

fish out of water is incredible . .As the tide recedes if it is
marooned in a rock pool some distance from the sea it avoids hot
sun by jumping from one pool to next until it reaches the ocean
judging the distance from one pool to next so accurately it drops
right in .
66
Salmon use river ‘scents’ to find their way home as some
species rely on chemical memory to find their way home after a
long journey .Actually the Pink salmon of northern pacific
travel 4000 km out to sea from the estuary they left as an
immature smolt .Yet they find their way back unerringly to the
same river several years later to breed . Each river has a small
signature by which salmon can recognize its water way and
earth’s magnetic field controls the salmons direction finding in
the ocean .

Some ants navigate in the sahara desert by taking a bearing

from the sun as they have eyes that can detect polarized light in
the Sun’s rays and the angle at which light vibrates depending
on the position of the sun .

Female blue sharks use the earth’s magnetic field and

Geo magnetic information from rocks on the sea bed to find their
way . Blue sharks mate off the east coast of USA and cross
the Atlantic to Europe to drop their pups .During migration
they check for magnetic bearings using the pits of lorenzini in
67
their snouts which can detect electrical and magnetic activity
utilizing solidified lava flows of extinct volcanoes as under water
high ways .
Many birds use land marks but others use the position of the sun
by detecting the changing angle of polarized light and cross
check it with their biological clocks.

Night flyers have stars to guide them and in north hemisphere

utilize fixed position of polar star .

Some birds using particles of magnetic material in their heads

and necks detect the lines of force of earths magnetic field and
perceiving their angle of intersection pinpoint their
position accurately .

Humpback whales journey 6400 kms to and from their breeding

sites finding their way by bouncing low frequency sounds off
familiar land marks on sea bed apart from the visual cues from
sun, moon and stars and the earths magnetic field.

68
Like bats the Amazon knife fish and the elephant-trunk fish of
Africa use radar to find their way but instead of sound they use
electricity. By generating an electric field around their body
these fishes can ‘read’ and interpret any of the pulses that hit a
rock or plant or other obstacle and bounce back enabling them
to build a map of the surroundings .
 69
SIGNALLING

Animals have developed senses for communication for a variety

of purposes including the necessity to attract opposite sex ,lure a
potential meal,or deter and deceive an enemy and they do so by
giving clear signal .

Singing Humpback whales switch songs when they hear a

catchy ballad .
[Infact each group of whales has its own pattern of squawks and
booms that constitutes its song, providing location and readiness
to mate .]
Killer whales and dolphins also sing and can vary the tunes .

Harp seals produce a variety of sounds and have a rich

repertoire of all seals .They gather in huge groups of 250000
individuals all calling under water for mates .

The range and quality of bird song is phenomenal

70
Novel use
Mole rat uses chemicals to keep law and order .In fact a Queen
governs her colony with a cocktail of chemical messages and
starts her rule by spreading her pheromones to ensure that no
other female can breed .
 71
CONCLUSION

And so on and so forth

the enchanting story goes on and on
Kingdom Animalia exhibiting wonderful features
beacons and challenges us
to develop and excel in its extraordinary traits ;

And of course

Wonders of Nature are innumerable

some astounding some astonishing
some even shocking ;
but each one more amazing than another
we will do well to remember , henceforth .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
. * Based on Readers Digest Publication
“ 1000 Natural Wonders ”

Edited by
S.K.Bhatnagar
 Great Events which moulded Life
Tkho txr dh egku ?kVuk;sa
thou ,d igsyh gS
lqurs vkjgs cpiu ls ge
vkrs jgrs ckj ckj blesa
dHkh [k+q’kh dHkh xe
ij bl ckjs eas D;k fn[kkrk gesa
ifjn`’;& thoksa ds fodkl dk
Hkyk cqjk tks tks xqt+jk chrk
rhu fcfy;u lky ds bfrgkl esa
dYiuk ds yksd ls
jg dj nwj [k+wc
[kkst [kkst HkwxHkZ ls
Tkakp ij[k lcwr
Ekgku ?kVuk;sa ?kVha tks
;qx ;qxkarj essa dbZ ckj
ns[ksa Hkkysa mUgsa ftUgksus
nh gS fn’kk ubZ ]gj ckj
Økafrdkjh ifjorZuksa dk
djds ftUgkasus mn~?kkVu
NksM+h Nki vfeV thou ij
djsa muds izHkko dk fo’ys"ku A

Pre Cambrian Proterozoic Eon - ( 3.5 BYA-540 MYA )

Ikzkx,sfrgkfld dky

mRifRr vkSj fodkl ds 'kq:vkrh pju %

Ikgyh egku ?kVuk gqbZ rc i`Foh ij

Tkc igys tho us tue fy;k /kjrh ij
 Ikgys igy dks"k cuk ij dSlss \
cM+h fodV ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa ! tSls rSls !
maxyh nckysa nkarksa rys lquds ,sls
fo’okl u gks vklkuh ls ftuis
Rkos lh rirh Fkh /kjrh ] lkxj mcy mcy iM+rs Fks
ukeksfu’kka u Fkk vkSDlhtu dk ] ehFksu Hkjh iM+h
Fkh
xtZu ytZu djrs jgrs Fks ckny /kqavk/kkj
o"kkZ ds lax
fctyh ped ped fxjrh Fkh vfrHk;adj /ofu ds lax
,sls esa gs jke ! dSls tue fy;k tho izFke us !
vfo’okluh; gS ij oSKkfud ekurs ;gh lgh gS
izFke tho ds :i esa czEgk th us jpk ,d
vkdhZ;k
cSdVhfj;k lk ,d dks"kh; lw{e izk.kh ;s Hkh
lgh gS

uo tues ckyd dh rjg xj jks ldrk jksrk ;s Hkh rV is

t+:j bu rwQ+kuh fny ngykus okyh gkyrksa esa yxrk
;gh gS
 ckyd jksrk ij lqu [kq+’k gksrs ?kj ds yksx
ckx
vkb;s ge Hkh eukysa rhu fcyfu;k fnu viuk
vkt
tYnh gh vlyh b;qcSDVhfj;k vorh.kZ gq, /kjrh is
Nk x;s futfoHkktu ls multiply djds naqfu;k Hkj essa
deky dj fn;k lp protoplasm dh bu
iryh lh f>Yyh esa fyiVh ] UkUgh uUgh
cwanksa us
fcu DyksjksIykLV fcu ekbVksdkSfUMª;k
thou th fy;k lfn;ksa gh bu ehFkSSukstu us
RNA world dk vkxkt+ djk igys
fQj dkykarj esa DNA world iznku fd;k
ij :dk ugha flyflyk cnykoksa dk
gksrs jgs tks buesa ;k buds }kjk &mudk
Cyanobacteriaa ds uhys gjs dks"kksa us
Rkks vkSDlht+u dh vfr ls ok;qeaMy Hkj ds
,slh egku ?kVuk dks vatke fn;k
ftlus thou dk :[k gh cny fn;k
vf/kdrj ehFkSukstu gks x;s [k+re blls
 ij vkSDlhtu fuHkZj evolve gq, blhls

DNA us vks<+uh vks<+yh ,d f>Yyh dh

Prokaryots gks x;ss Eukaryots blls

'kuS% 'kuS% protista fodflr gq, blhls

;s Hkh cgqr cM+h ?kVuk gqbZ tho txr esa
db izdkj ds u;s tho izxV gq, lkxj esa
tks u tUrq Fks u ikS/ks u gh QQwanh iwjs
ij dqN dqN feyrs tqyrs Fks muls
vkf[k+j bu Hkfo"; ds thoksa ds iM+nknk
Fks
;s Hkh derh ek;k u Fks
db u;s xq.kksa ds tuenkrk Fks
fe=rk vkSj 'k=qrk esa yklkuh Fksa
endosymbiosis ls gh buds
chloroplast vkSj mitochondria tSls
mi vax gj dks"k esa gksus yxs rcls
bu egku ?kVukvksa us thoksa dh
fn’kk vkSj n’kk gh ekuks cny Mkyh
 Chloroplast }kjk O2 vkSj Sugar ds mRiknu ls
Mitochondria }kjk energy ds mRiknu ls

;s lp ,slh egku ?kVuka,a Fkh txr dh

Tkks vkt rd nqfu;k pyk jgha gSa thoksa dh
Sexual iztuu ls ]HGT ls ]
ub iztkfr;ka cuus dh izfdz;k ls
dzkfUrdkjh ifjorZu lEHko gq, ,sls ,sls] ds
thoksa dh xkM+h us jQ+rkj idM+ yh /khjs
/khjs‘
izksVksQ+UtkbZ ls QQwan ] izksVksQ+kbVk ls
ikS/ks
izksVkst+ksvk ls tUrq Øe’k% fodflr gq, dkykUrj esa
dbZ Multicellular tho tUrqvksa dh
,oa Algae dh ck<+ lh vkxbZ leanj esa
dqN vkfdZ;k] cSDVhfj;k dqN ,Yxh] Q+atkbZ us
:[k fd;k t+eha dh vksj clkus u;s vkf’k;kaus
vkSj vkxs ft+anxh dk dkjoka ;kas gh c<+
pyk
 bl csgn yEcs ;qx dk vkf[k+j tc var gqvk
thou dh vk/kkjf’kyk ;ksa jD[kh xbZ vkuu Qkuu
tho lalkj ds HkO; Hkou dk gqvk ;ksa mn~?kkVu

Ikzdkj izdkj ds izkf.k;ksa dh pgyigy ls

jkSudean
,sfrgkfld Phanerogamic dky izkjEHk gqvk

I Ikzkphu dky Paleozoic Era ( 540 MYA )

igys ihfj;M Cambrian esa rks

ekuks Tokj vk x;k thou /kkjk esa
dksb dgrk Cambrian explosion gks x;k
dksb dgrk life dk profusion gks x;k
Tkhoksa dh ,slh ck<+ lh vk xbZ
Ekkuks thou esa cgkj vk xbZ
Algae rks ^Qwys u lek;s* vgks ! brus
ds yksx bls ^Age of Algae *yxs dgus
Vertebrates dk mn; gqvk fishes :i esa
 'kqHk 'kxqu gqvk ekuks muds Å"kk dky esa
Ikj ;s [k+q’kh t+knk nsj fVd u ikbZ
ut+j yx xb ^Qwyrs Qyrs* lalkj dks

Dramatic changes gq, 'kh?kz Hkwry is

/kjrh Mksyh ] egk}hi ljds b/kj m/kj gkSys ls
Tokykeq[kh QwVs t+ksj’kksj ls ;gak ogka
db lkjs
vkdk’k gqvk dkyk /kqa, ls /kjrh ykyyky ykos
ls
Ice ages nks ckj vkbaZ xbZa ,sls ds

ifjorZu dj xbZa gj ckj <sj lkjs

za Ekp xb gypy ok;qeaMy esa lkxj esa
ekSle cnyk] o+[+r cnyk ckj ckj ,sls ds
egkfouk’k izkjEHk gks x;k /kjk is
foyqIr gks xbZa vusd iztkfr;ka txr lss
vthcksxjhc dky ;s Ordovician Fkk ,slk
 [k+q’kh vkSj x+e dh cM+h cM+h
?kVukvksa ls Hkjk iwjk
Ikgys Charales oa’kt Plants us bl dky esaa
conquest of land izkjEHk fd;k & ,sls ds %
Pioneer cu ds Bryophytes us vius
Liverworts,mosses }kjk ;s jksy Iys fd;k

Invertebrates us viuk jkt dk;e j[kds

Marine life dh dominance t+kjh jD[kh
Ikj ckn esa nh nwljh egku ?kVuk tkrs tkrs
Ekgkdky ds rkaMo lk egkfouk’k djds
85 % iztkfr;ka yqIr gks xbZa ftLkesa
Ikgys Great Mass Extinction ds :i esa
Silurian period esa fQj pSu ls lkal fy;k
thoksa us
ferns izxV gq, Ikgys vascular ikS/kksa
ds :i esa

Corals us viuk >aMk Åapk j[k ds

Invertebrates dh fot; ;k=k tkjh jD[kh
 ij ;s 'kakfar cuh jgh dsoy dqN gh dky /kjrh
is
ds vkQ+r us nLrd ns nh fQj ls gekjs ;gka is
Devonion esa rks eNfy;ka [k+wc QwyQyha
bruh ds ;s Age of fishes dgykus yxh
Amphibian animals gq, evolve bl dky esa]
vkSj /khjs /khjs :[k fd;k t+eha dh vksj
tUrqvksa us

Fky ij mosses vkSj ferns

vkxs c<+s vkSj [k+wc QSys
ty esa lkxj ds 'kkdZ jkt
dk ekxZ iz’kLr gqvk
Ikj t+knk nsj jg ikrk gS vPNk o[+r dgka
eqlhcr us fQj ls flj mBk Msjk Mky fn;k
lkxj esaa vkSDlhtu dh deh gh
bl egkfouk’k dh [k+kl otg cuh
80% iztkfr;ka izyqIr gks xbZza ftlls egkdky ds
II great extinction :ih bl fodjky Lo:i esa
 ij Carboniferous esa fQj ls
thou gjk Hkjk gks ygjk;k vkuUn ls
vkSj bl explosive profusion esa
Ferns us viuk LkezkT; LFkkfir fd;k
bl Age of Tree ferns esa muds taxyksa esa
Insects vkSj amphibians Hkh [k+wc eLr jgs

Pre Gymnosperms vkSj early Reptiles

Hkh dkQ+h dqN ut+j vkus yxs ml o[+r
ogka is
Permian esa Gymnosperms fodflr gq,
jSiVkbYl c<+s b/kj m/kj ?kwes fQjs et+s ls
Ikj viuh vknr vuqlkj gh
fdler us fQj djoV cnyh
dqN dky gh 'kkafar jg ikbZ
ds fodjky egkdky us fQj gqadkj Hkjh
96% iztkfr;ka xk;c gks xbZa tgka ls
bl lcls cM+s Great extinction esa
db arthropods, amphibians,vkSj reptiles
 mosses, ferns vkSj pre gymnosperms
ij cky cky cp x;s bl dgj ls
;s lc [k+qnk gh tkus dSls !

dgrs gSa bl d+;ker dh otg

,d ugha vusd Fkha
xje xje ykok fudyk QSyk ehyksa ehyksa
cM+h yEch yEch njkjksa ls fo’kky areas esa
egk ifjorZu gqvk tyok;q esa
lkxjksa esa vkSDlhtu dh gksxbZ deh
ok;qeaMy dh egklkxjksa dh
chemistry ,,aslh cnyh
ds gypy ep xbZ Hkkjh lkjh nqfu;k esa
vkQ+r vkxbZ t+knkrj thoksa dh bl Hk;adj dky esa
izkphu paleozoic dk bl izdkj
gkgkdkj Hkjk var gqvk vkf[k+jdkj

II Mesozoic Era ( e/; dky )

izkjEHk esa Triassic period ds

izÑfr us vkalq ikSaaNs igys
Gymnosperms Ck<+ pys vkxs
dne c<+k;s Reptiles us eLrh ls

Age of Gymnosperms
Age of Reptiles 'kq: gqbZa
nkSukss lkFk lkFk [k+wc ^Qwys Qys *
Q+uZ vkSj ,EQ+hfc;Ul lkFk fy;s
Ikj izÑfr u j[k l[kh la;e t+knk nsj
Ykx xbZ u tkus fdl m/ksM+cqu esa nsj lcsj
ekSdk fey x;k ;ejkt dks fQj ls
rkaMo djus yx xbZ e`R;q fQj ls
Tokykeq[kh HkHkd ds gks x;s yky fQj ls
dky dk xzkl cu x;s yk[kksa izk.kh fQj ls
;kuh Triassic dk Hkh var nq%[kn gqvk
Ikj thou gkjk ugha] fQj ls gjk gqvk
Ek’kgwj Jurassic dky 'kq: gqvk
Dinosaurs dk jkt izkjEHk gqvk
 fteuksLiElZ dk opZLo cuk jgk
Q+uZ gjs Hkjs ygjkrs jgs
14
bl vk’p;Ztud vn~Hkqr dky esa
fo’kky Hkhedk; Mk;ukslkWlZ ds
fgyrs Mqyrs pgydneh djus ls
ckj ckj Mksy Mksy mBrh /kjrh is
>wers gq, Åap Åaps pines dh
Lkc vksj QSyh [k+q’kcw ls Hkjs ekgkSy esa
NksVs NksVs ikS/ks angiosperms ds
vius Qwyksa ls lqxa/k fc[ksjus yxs
Mammals vkSj birds dk tue gqvk
,sls [k+q’kuqek ! vthcksxjhc ekgkSy esa
NksVs NksVs eSeYl lges lges ls
fnu esa vDlj Nqis jgrs b/kj m/kj
jkr dks fudyrs fcy ls Mjs Mjs
?kwe ?kke [kk ih fQj Nqi tkrs
NksVs NksVs ifjans Mky MkYk Qqndrs
mM+rs fQjrs pgpgkrs vkleku esa
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