Coconut crab claw strength Vs lion’s bite!
Scientists measured the incredible strength of the coconut crab, the world’s largest terrestrial arthropod, for a study published in the journal PLOS One. The findings showed that the pinching force of the coconut crab was comparable to the bite force of some of nature’s most formidable predators, including lions.
Coconut crabs, native to islands throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans, can climb trees, shred coconuts with ease and have even been rumoured to eat kittens.
To gather data, researchers used a bite-force measuring device to determine the pinching force of 29 wild coconut crabs collected from the Japanese island of Okinawa. The process was simple: each crab pinched down on the device with its left claw and the scientists recorded the amount of force exerted.
The crabs can generate pinching force about 90 times their body weight. The crab’s pinching force was almost equal to the bite force of an adult lion, or four or five times the force of a human bite.
According to the study, coconut crabs are believed to have developed their strong pincers as a powerful weapon, as well as a way of tearing things like coconuts for food. They share an ancestor with hermit crabs, but the species stopped using shells for protection and instead developed a hard outer layer to protect their bodies.
One of Fantastic Beasts’, beasts actually exists — and this is where to find it...
Whether you’ve seen JK Rowling’s new Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, or not, you should be aware of this creature.
The ‘Niffler’ also features in the main trailer. Eddie Redmayne’s character Newt Scamander, author of the book from which the film takes its name — spots it stealing expensive diamonds in a New York jeweller.
Rowling describes the Niffler on Pottermore: “Fluffy, black and long-snouted, this burrowing creature has a predilection for anything glittery. Nifflers are often kept by goblins to burrow deep into the earth for treasure. Though the Niffler is gentle and even affectionate, it can be destructive to belongings and should never be kept in a house...”
Niffler bears a striking resemblance to a real animal called the short-beaked echidna. They’re incredibly hard to breed, but remarkably, three new births were announced as the film was released on November 18.
The echidna babies known as puggles, were born a couple of months earlier at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. They’re the first to arrive in nearly 30 years. The creatures are one of two mammals in Australia that lay eggs. They also live underground!
Rhino with a toothache
Yes, these giant animals also have the same health issues as humans do. Scottish Fire & Rescue Service arrived at Edinburgh Zoo to assist zoo veterinarians in completing the dental procedure on the two-tonne rhino named ‘Bertus.’
The eight-year-old one-horned Indian rhinoceros was anesthetised and lifted with winch equipment typically used to move vehicles in traffic collisions, according to the BBC.
The massive rhino was ultimately able to return to his normal eating habits due to the cooperation between veterinary staff and fire crews.
“Bertus’ operation was a great success and even though it was a minor tooth operation, it involved a massive team of people, all working together to ensure the operation went smoothly,” Head Veterinarian Simon Girling said.
Published in Dawn, Young World, December 17th, 2016
