Also, Tortoises kill birds.
I’m not sure. I tried looking into it but nothing on its unique appearance. I’ll keep looking though.
2 Likes
Just browsing the taxonomy, a more common harvestman, like European Harvestman (Phalangium opilo) lacks the two black nubs that the Bunny Harvestman (Metagryne bicolumnata) has. Also, if you cross/defocus eyes, these two nubs and the yellow spots below start looking a lot like a chocolate bunny with yellow eyes.
2 Likes
Many opiliones have similar “structures”, often spikes are on the boy or on walking legs, those are not very functional, probably can help with disguise, can’t see how much it would help against an attacker.
Just two from photo list on iNat, but there’re more fantastic-looking too.
8 Likes
Perhaps changing the outline / silhouette confuses a predator? That’s a mouse not a spider sort of thing?
They live in leaf litter or on tree bark, so it can help looking like something not alive, similar to what tropical katydids often show. That’s my idea about it.
2 Likes
What is actually still disturbing to me: invertebrates eating vertebrates.
6 Likes
What no one mentioned European Starlings??? They were brought over by Europeans. Twice released a 100 because the first set failed. And now look what we have. They are brood parasites and cavity dwellers reeking havoc on woodpeckers and swallows. And for what purpose so colonist could be reminded of home. They should have stayed in England.
6 Likes
Just adding another invasive flower - pointing out that Lupinus polyphyllus is a terrible invasive in Europe ruined my parents’ favorite “wildflower” a bit for them. At first they said they don’t care if it’s native and it’s been there forever, but when I kept pointing out rare native flowers on my last visit and they realized how much native diversity can exist but there is zero native flowers where the invasive has taken over… I think they don’t like the “pretty” purple and pink hillsides anymore either now.
9 Likes
Oh yeah, those lupines I’ve actually managed to ruin for myself too, I really used to love them! 
Here in Sweden, most people seem to viciously defend them when they hear that they should be eradicated, but I think that is understandable – they’re so pretty!
1 Like
I liked them in our garden, but surprisingly that’s where they died out after many years, fields of them look very nice honestly, especially with three colour forms, so it’s a big minus factor in getting people do something about them (their long life cycle doesn’t make it easier too).
Also, Veined Rapa Whelk, which shells are often seen as a sign of Black sea, and it is a very bad invasive species there.
1 Like
What even worse is the reason behind the starling’s introduction. Apparently, the plan was to introduce all bird species mentioned in works by Shakespeare!
European Starling - All About Birds. See “Cool Facts”
1 Like
Also, they live in my attic.
2 Likes
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/overview Look under “Cool Facts” but they pretty much sugar coat it.
2 Likes
Mallard drake’s urge to mate is strong, and a coupled drake’s defense of a mate can be equally fierce. Here is a video of such an aggressive encounter. Even if you skip the fighting (no one dies in the video), we invite you to watch the hen’s response in the final 30 seconds of the video. We have seen this type of interaction on multiple occasions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djhd29Kn2w4
1 Like
Was the hen ok? The way she walked off at the end of the video look off.
1 Like
We have seen hens slink like that to try to avoid detection from an aggressive male. Rarely successfully. So we think she was uninjured. She actually went and hid under the neighbor’s pickup truck.
1 Like
That’s what is looked like she was doing. Thanks for the reply.
2 Likes
According to Bond, Birds of the West Indies, the Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus was first introduced in Haiti, and has since spread throughout the island of Hispaniola. I do wonder if it was for a similar purpose – its name comes from the fact that in its native Africa, it lives and nests near villages.
And the reason I don’t like them is because they somehow can tell which of my corn ears have huitlacoche, and take it before I can get any.
3 Likes