Weather!

[geckzilla]

Say goodbye to the warmth, old man mantis. Soon you'll be dead. But not before I can grab you and take a photo of you like the silly human I am.

[neufer]

[b][color=#0000FF]M. C. Escher's woodcut Dream[/color][/b]

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<<Mantodea (or mantises, mantes) is an order of insects that contains over 2,400 valid species and about 430 genera in 15 families worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. All Mantids belong to the insect order Mantodea. Mantodea comes from the Greek word μάντις (pronounced mantis) meaning prophet [plus] the Greek word εἶδος meaning form or shape. The English common name for any species in the order is "praying mantis", because of the typical "prayer-like" attitude with folded fore-limbs, although the eggcorn "preying mantis" is sometimes used in reference to their predatory habits. In Europe and other regions, however, the name "praying mantis" refers to only a single species, Mantis religiosa. The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches (order Blattodea). They are sometimes confused with phasmids (stick/leaf insects) and other elongated insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.

One theory for the evolution of the species is that mantises evolved from proto-cockroaches, diverging from their common ancestors by the Cretaceous period, possibly from species like Raphidiomimula burmitica, a predatory cockroach with mantis-like forelegs. Possibly the earliest known modern mantis is Regiata scutra, although more common (and confirmed) is Santanmantis, a stilt-legged genus, also from the Cretaceous. Like their close termite cousins, though, mantises did not become common and diverse until the early Tertiary period.

One of the earliest mantis references is in the ancient Chinese dictionary Erya, which gives its attributes in poetry (representing courage and fearlessness), as well as a brief description. Western descriptions of the biology and morphology of the mantises had become relatively accurate by the 18th century. Roesel von Rosenhof accurately illustrated and described them in the Insekten-Belustigungen (Insect Entertainments). Aldous Huxley made philosophical observations about the nature of death while two mantises mated in the sight of two characters in the novel Island.

The naturalist Gerald Durrell's autobiography My Family and Other Animals includes an account of a very evenly matched battle between a mantis and a gecko. Based upon empirical evidence, the Australian mantis has been known to strike fear amongst the native Australian gecko causing great avoidance tendencies as it marks its territory.>>

[Beyond]

Say goodbye to the warmth, old man mantis. Soon you'll be dead. But not before I can grab you and take a photo of you like the silly human I am.

Hey! ya missed one.

[BMAONE23]

Say goodbye to the warmth, old man mantis. Soon you'll be dead. But not before I can grab you and take a photo of you like the silly human I am.

Hey! ya missed one.

WOW ... I guess cold weather does cause shrinkage

[geckzilla]

I love those little baby mantises. Back at my dad's house they would appear every year so I've actually seen a lot more baby mantises than adult ones. He was still hanging out on the window screen when I checked at dinner. What's an old mantis to do with himself as the weather grows colder and the prey disappears?

[Beyond]

I love those little baby mantises. Back at my dad's house they would appear every year so I've actually seen a lot more baby mantises than adult ones. He was still hanging out on the window screen when I checked at dinner. What's an old mantis to do with himself as the weather grows colder and the prey disappears?

DIE!!
As all the rest of them do in a winter season. Only the eggs survive till next year, according to Yahoo Answers.

[owlice]

geckzilla, try feeding him a tiny bit of raw ground beef.

[geckzilla]

Man, this old mantis... ok, so I caved and I brought it inside. I had it in a jar but it tapped the side constantly in the saddest way a mantis could look. So I let it onto my desk and it was content to simply climb as high as it could and perch there. It just sits there, doing nothing in particular but cleaning itself now and then. So I went out and looked under a rock. Lots of pill bugs, a centipede, and a couple of small earthworms. I picked a worm. I put the mantis on the floor and the worm on the floor so there would be a lot of contrast between the worm and the floor and he still barely saw it. It put its head closer and closer like it wasn't sure it was moving or not and then snatched it up. It's still chewing on the worm as I write this. The vision might be worse than I originally thought. The last mantis I fed snatched a grasshopper out of my fingers before I even had a chance to think or the hopper had a chance to do more than flick an antenna.

[owlice]

The gecko has a pet!

[neufer]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[geckzilla]

Ugh, so irresponsible to feed a pet something dangerous like that for the sake of entertainment.

[Moonlady]

Geckzilla gets a ♥ from me!


Some days ago, I was cycling at night and I saw a hedgehog unmoving on the street, I stopped to look at it, if it is hurt, if I hadnt stopped a coming car was going to
kill it!
I wondered if it is damaged and brought it home, there it opened up and took a good look around, I googled what I could do before I bring it back into nature, and
red that they eat catfood, I had still some catfood and gave it to eat (I got the catfood to spoil my neighbours cat in the summer lol). I called a pet shelter to be sure
for what I shall take a look and that the hedgehog is doing fine. The hedgehog ate a lot catfood and seemed happy.
At morning we went to a big garden with fruit trees with hopefully a lot or worms and I left it there. It's time for them to prepare for the coming winter and sleep a lot.
Is there an astronomical naming after hedgehogs?

[Ann]

♥ ♥ to you, Moonlady!

Are there any objects in the heavens that have been named after hedgehogs? Beats me. None of the 88 constellations in the sky bears a hedgehog name, and no star that I know of does, either. (By the way, what is a hedgehog name?)

But let me say this: The odds are astronomical that there are hedgehogs anywhere else in the universe than on the Earth. We therefore have a responsibility to protect the hedgehog.

Moonlady, you just saved a miracle of the universe from being run over by a car!

(And geckzilla, you just saved a praying mantis, whose species is equally certainly confined to one planet in the universe only, the Earth. So thank you both for making the universe a slightly richer and happier place.)

Ann

[geckzilla]

Ah, I don't think I saved it. It's still going to die. He's just an old man living out his final days ... sitting on the orchid, preening, for now. And I'm sure the earthworm would have rather remained under the rock.

[neufer]

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<<As with most small mammals living around humans, cars pose a great threat to hedgehogs.

Hedgehog bones have been found in the pellets of the European Eagle Owl.

In 2006, McDonald's changed the design of their McFlurry containers to be more hedgehog-friendly. Previously, hedgehogs would get their heads stuck in the container as they tried to lick the remaining food from inside the cup. Then, being unable to get out, they would starve to death. Domesticated hedgehogs display this behavior by getting their head stuck in tubes (commonly, lavatory paper tubes) and walking around with the tube on their head. Hedgehog owners often refer to this as "tubing" and promote the behavior by supplying clean tubes. Most owners are considerate enough, however, to cut the tubes lengthwise so as to prevent the hedgehog from remaining trapped against their will. Curiously though, some will still knowingly get themselves stuck for a few hours.

Hedgehogs are a food source in many cultures. Hedgehogs were eaten in Ancient Egypt and some recipes of the Late Middle Ages call for hedgehog meat. In the Middle East and especially among Bedouins, hedgehog meat is considered medicinal, and thought to cure rheumatism and arthritis. Romani people supposedly still eat it, boiled or roasted, and also use the blood and the fat for its supposed medicinal value. During the 1980s, "hedgehog-flavour" crisps were introduced in Britain, although the product did not contain any hedgehog.>>

------------------------------------------------------------

• . Macbeth Act 4, Scene 1

Second Witch: Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
------------------------------------------------------------

• . King Richard III Act 1, Scene 2

LADY ANNE: Dost grant me, hedgehog? then, God grant me too

• Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed!

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• . A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 2
  
  [The Fairies sing]
  
  You spotted snakes with double tongue,
  Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
  Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,
  Come not near our fairy queen.
  Philomel, with melody
  Sing in our sweet lullaby;
  Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby:
  Never harm,
  Nor spell nor charm,
  Come our lovely lady nigh;
  So, good night, with lullaby.
  Weaving spiders, come not here;
  Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!
  Beetles black, approach not near;
  Worm nor snail, do no offence.
  Philomel, with melody, &c.
  ------------------------------------------------------------

• . The Tempest Act 2, Scene 2

CALIBAN: All the infections that the sun sucks up

• From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him
  By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me
  And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
  Fright me with urchin--shows, pitch me i' the mire,
  Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
  Out of my way, unless he bid 'em; but
  For every trifle are they set upon me;
  Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me
  And after bite me, then like hedgehogs which
  Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
  Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
  All wound with adders who with cloven tongues
  Do hiss me into madness.

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[Beyond]

heh,heh, the weather thread has taken a turn for the critters. I don't mind whether or not there's critters, cause weather can be rather boreing sometimes. It's a good thing the Captain of the Asterisk* encourages off-topic wanderings in this Open Space Forum, or a certain Admin. may have had to have a chat with her self. That being said, for what ever reason, i think we all expect updates on old man mantis. Perhaps he may be the first mantis to make it through a New England winter

[orin stepanek]

It rained last night! We actually got some rain! The storm rolled in last night at about 2:30 AM CDT; and with very loud thunder and bright lightning flashes; dumped an inch of rain! I guess we're beginning to live right again! Why the ground was actually still wet at sunup!
Picture from wiki!

Click to view full size image

[Beyond]

It rained last night! We actually got some rain! The storm rolled in last night at about 2:30 AM CDT; and with very loud thunder and bright lightning flashes; dumped an inch of rain! I guess we're beginning to live right again! Why the ground was actually still wet at sunup!
Picture from wiki!

Click to view full size image

Nice to hear you're all wet, orin.

[Beyond]

Geckzilla, if the mantis doesn't make it til spring, try this for a pet. It even comes with a friend.

[Ann]

Awww, Beyond!!

Hey, we need a "sweet or funny or interesting animals" thread! I'm one of those who loves adorable kittens. So if you want to read about an adorable Kitty and puppy, check this out!

Ann

[Moonlady]

Ann , we can still use this one:

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php? ... 3&start=75

hey Neufer, thanks for the hedgehog lines, now I can memorize Shakespear better!
I feel like a nerd already...

[TNT]

I don't know just how many times I have come across a praying mantis over the last couple months. For some reason, they're attracted to my house! I've seen them on the front door, along the windows, and a couple somehow got inside. It's not like I have anything against them, it's just that they can be rather... extrusive...? Well, yeah. I should try carving a figure of a praying mantis in a pumpkin for Halloween this year.

But anyway, I got basically what Orin got over the last few days.

And catfood?! Hedgehogs really eat catfood? I didn't know that!

[owlice]

I should try carving a figure of a praying mantis in a pumpkin for Halloween this year.

Oh, if you do that, please post a picture!!

And catfood?! Hedgehogs really eat catfood? I didn't know that!

Birds will eat it, too; I've got mighty well-fed starlings, blue jays, and cardinals around my house, as they steal what they can from my feral fluffies.

[geckzilla]

You ever taste cat food? I was curious one day. Not much flavor.

[orin stepanek]

You ever taste cat food? I was curious one day. Not much flavor.

Ya gotta be a cat to like it!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.