Gel Ant Farms - A Space Race Spin Off

Gel ant farms are just one of the hundreds of spin-off from the space program. We've always thought of space research as being a bit wacky. Ever since the Russians launched Laika the dog into space for no apparent reason (other than to get one over on the Americans) and since Alan Shepard used a six iron to hit a golf ball on the moon, we've been wondering what space research is all about.

Well, it turns out that ant farms also feature high on Nasa's list of worthwhile experiments. Since the space program began there have been dozens of experiments devised to discover how processes that rely on gravity, or are affected by gravity, operate when freed from that ubiquitous force.

From seeing how unfortunate spiders manage to spin webs to the growing of perfect crystals, they've all been tried. Some are successful and some aren't. But that's science, of course.

The mystery of underground navigation

And one of these experiments was the now famous Gel Ant Farm. Quite how ants manage to build and navigate their way through subterranean tunnels has always been something of a mystery. So, to try to discover exactly how they did it, scientists at NASA began a project to develop a transparent medium in which ants would be able to build tunnels, just as in soil but, all-importantly, through which they could also be seen actually doing it.

The gel also needed to be sufficiently stable to withstand the high G-forces associated with launch and re-entry. Any sand tunnel would collapse under these unusual forces. High G wouldn't affect the ants, of course, they are easily strong enough to take such forces in their stride.

Up it went the Gel Ant Farm on a space shuttle and the ants started tunneling in their transparent gel. As I understand it, the tunnels were a somewhat more wiggly than ones made in the same gel by the same species on earth so gravity was thought to play a part in the ants' subterranean efforts. But, as far as I know, we didn't find out much else.

Never mind though, the good thing is that we now have a fantastic selection of gel ant farms that are just great for kids to study and learn from. Some people say that non-stick frying pans are the only good thing ever to come out of the space program - not so - we now have gel ant farms as well!

Discover for yourself the fun you and your kids can have with a gel ant farm at http://www.antfarmcentral.com/gelantfarms.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_R_Richards

Read More...

Ferret Supplies

Once you are sure that you want to own a pet ferret, you will need to get yourself some ferret supplies. This is a short listing of items you will want to have to keep your ferret safe and healthy.

You will definitely need to get a quality ferret cage. Although Ferrets sleep a lot, when they are awake, they are extremely curious and will get into anything if left alone. A metal cage with an opening that can be securely latched shut is a must. You should not force your ferret to stay in cramped living conditions. The cage you purchase should have plenty of room for your pet ferret to run around and play but still have access to its food and a bathroom area. There are a variety of styles available in ferret cages. Some are single level and some are multilevel. What you purchase will be up to you, but remember if you're getting more than one ferret you will need more space. Also remember that you should set up your ferret cage in an area where it can see its new family. Don't lock it away in a separate room unless you want a stressed out pet.

Inside the cage, you will need some type of bedding that separates your ferret from the metal floor. You will want bedding that he can snuggle down into but nothing that he can manage to destroy and eat. You will also need food and water supplies as well as toys. All of these can be purchased at a pet store either online or at a retail outlet near you. Depending on where you are located, specialty ferret supplies may be easier to find on the Internet than near your home. Personally, I recommend food dishes that attach to the side of the cage and water bottles to avoid spills caused by playful ferrets.

There are many other Ferret supplies available, but these are some of the basics. You can always add more after your ferret has come home, but these few essential items should be waiting before he ever arrives.

You might also enjoy reading these articles about ferret supplies and ferret cages on my website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Russet

Read More...

Feeding Behavior in Ant Farm Ants

Ant food

The ants that you'll receive when you send off the voucher that comes with your ant farm will almost certainly be harvester ants. The name suggests that they might be vegetarians but that's not necessarily the case. They will consume pretty much anything that contains protein and carbohydrate. They will eat plant seeds in abundance however, most of these are likely to come from grasses. Some grass species will actually grow on the soil that has been excavated from the tunnels by the ants, so the ants don't have to go exploring to find their food. Harvester ants will also eat the seeds, pollen and nectar from many other plant species.

Carnivores

A large number of carnivorous behaviors is has been seen in harvester ants. These include the queen feeding unhatched eggs to her first brood of offspring and, in the case of the Florida harvester, she feeds special sterile eggs, which have been laid by the workers, to juvenile ants. These sterile eggs are called trophic eggs and this behavior has only been seen in the Florida harvester.

I am unaware of any cases of cannibalism in harvester ants so the occupants of your ant farm should be quite safe from each other... What else do harvester ants eat? Well, termites, many castes of which are soft-bodied and quite defenseless, comprise roughly sixty percent of their meat intake. Bigger insects, such as grasshoppers and crickets form the remainder* (see below), usually the ants will extract the soft tissue from the inside of the insect's exoskeleton if it is too big to be removed to the nest.

Foraging for food

By far the most common foraging strategy is called individual foraging. Using this strategy, individual workers will leave the nest to hunt on their own. This is believed to be the most basic of the hunting strategies and, because it is the least sophisticated, it is the strategy that is likely to result in the highest rate of failure and loss. An individual ant is much more likely to be eaten by another animal than is an organized group.

Ants foraging as a group is undoubtedly one of the most interesting phenomena in the insect world. Many ant species, such as the Florida, western and red harvester ants all display this behavior and this is one of the reasons for their success. Occasionally, columns of ants over a hundred feet in length and two inches wide can be seen and any small animals that stand in their way are almost certainly doomed if they do not escape in time. When a group attack takes place the insect (it's usually an insect) is cut up and taken back to the nest. Often different ants will assume different roles when dealing with prey, from attacking, to dismembering and even digging underneath large prey to make it easier to move. Although the armies of harvester ants on the move are a fearsome sight to many animals, it should be remembered that not all foraging trips are successful. They only come back with food about sixty percent of the time. So the ants in your ant farm ought to be eternally grateful that you are providing them with food without their having to move from their doorstep.

* The header picture at Ant Farm Central shows a green cricket being dismembered by ants.
Find out why ant farms are a great educational choice for kids at http://www.antfarmcentral.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_R_Richards

Read More...

Hermit Crabs Information

Ever heard of Hermit Crabs? Hermit Crab are a type of crustacean, and these may be either land or water-dwelling. These crabs are somewhat different than true crabs; they have softer vulnerable abdomens and are in the habit of looking for abandoned shells to seek protection from possible enemies. Once it finds a suitable shell, the hermit crab carries the shell everywhere till the time it finally outgrows that particular shell. After that, it would seek a larger shell. However the crab native to the South Pacific prefers a burrow to a shell.

Along the Atlantic coast of the United States and in the country of West Indies, giant and striped hermit crabs are quite common. In Florida and West Indies, these crabs are also sold as pets. In this article we try and provide information about the hermit crab to better your understanding about it.

WHY DOES A HERMIT CRAB HUNT FOR AN ABANDONED SHELL?

The hermit crab does not have a hard shell; therefore it needs the protection of a discarded snail shell against enemies. Since the body of a hermit crab is flexible, it can easily fit into the interior of the shell. Once the hermit crab outgrows the shell, it goes out looking for a larger one. Hermit crabs also carry other organisms on their shells for camouflage in order to protect themselves from predators.

HOW DO HERMIT CRABS SELECT SHELLS?

Hermit crabs are extremely picky and are always on the look-out for the perfect shell. A certain kind of hermit crab called the Dardanus; moves into a shell and also decorates it by placing sea anemones on the shell. The anemones get leftover food from the crab and a free ride at the same time.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A HERMIT CRAB IS ABOUT TO MOLT?

Some hermit crabs may not show any signs that sound the alert about them being ready to molt. Other crabs may act strange or look different; here below are some signs that can help you determine if a hermit crab is ready to molt:

" The crab may dig a lot
" The crab may eat or drink more than usual
" The eyes of the hermit crab may get cloudy

If the hermit crab shows such signs, you need to place it in a warm and humid tank. You can supply food and water dishes and it is a good idea to lightly spray it with mist, if the crab is molting above ground. After it has molted, you may let it consume the old exoskeleton for the essential nutrition it provides.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHELL

A hermit crab consists of two pairs of antennae and round eyes on the ends of eyestalks. These crabs have ten legs but only 6 legs show. These 6 legs are known as walking legs while the rest i.e. back legs are folded inside the shell.

The world's largest land crab must be the coconut crab. An adult coconut crab can weigh as much as 9 pounds. But it can get very difficult for this particular species hermit crab to find a shell big enough to fit.

In conclusion, in all their variety, Hermit crabs are wonderful crustaceans that can make great pets. Hopefully the details mentioned above helped improve your knowledge about these amazing creatures.

Shane is a hermit crab enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on hermit crab care, visit http://www.hermitcrabsite.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Dolby

Read More...

The Key to Tree Frog Care is Regularity

Tree frogs, unlike the common ground frog, are any frog that spends the majority of its life in an arboreal state. Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees.

If one is interested in caring for tree frogs they will most likely need a vivarium (Latin, literally for "place of life") is a usually enclosed area for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. This artificially controlled area can often rather successfully mimic the natural environment of the tree frog.

Sufficient planning and care is required if one is to care for amphibians in the home environment as tree frogs are easily stressed if subjected to unnatural conditions. Therefore equipment to further enhance the quality of life of the tree frog in this artificial environment has been created. Conditions such as relative humidity levels and temperature must be kept as constant as possible to successfully care or breed tree frogs at home.

In order to achieve this some automated systems have been created to seamlessly integrate with your vivarium to make tree frog care a breeze.

If you are a first time frog keeper then to not be alarmed by the exact figures required, keeping tree frogs at home is by no means supposed to be scientific.

To give you a little story of how getting caught up with the finer details can stop you taking the plunge and getting some tree frogs as a feature for you house.

When I first attempted to brew beer at home, I thought that the temperature had to absolutely stay between about 21 to 27 degrees Centigrade. When I actually gave it a go and I found that you could in fact successfully brew great homemade beer below that temperature.

If you happen to own a frog now and are looking for ways to give your tree frog a better life try these tips.

Frogs like regularity -

Say you have the tank in which your frog lives in your bedroom. Lets say that you leave the light on and don't go to bed until three in the morning. As you can imagine, this can be very confusing for your frog. Its body is telling it that it should be dark and out hunting. However its light sensing organs are letting it know that it is still day. Maintaining regular lighting patterns will make sure that you reduce the stress that you tree frog will live a happy life.

Here is another example, Let's say your frog lives in the living area. You get cold in the winter to you put the fire or heater on. I think you know where I am going with this one. What do you think that the frogs head is thinking when it is so hot in the middle of winter?

Well it most likely does not know that season in your country but frogs like regularity and this means a regular temperature to. Keep the temperature constantly warm and humid for your tree frog to ensure a long life. Ramping the temperature right up so it's hot and dry right after a cold period will be very stressful for your pet.

I am just here to be of any assistance that I can. I have a 14 day ecourse ready for you at treefrogcenter.com to kick start your tree frog keeping.

This course is Absolutely free and will guide you along the road of taking action. As well as through the steps Required from being a complete newbie to frog care to having a full vivarium of tree frogs will full ability to feed them at very low cost, as well as have automated systems in place such that your tree frog caring becomes easy and rewarding.

All I ask is that you give this a go. I am not selling you anything here, merlely asking you to hop over to treefrogcenter for a complete Free 14 day e course on tree frog care and more great frog facts

You have absolutely no obligation to buy anything, this is just some free information I want to give you in the hope that tree frog breeding and care will further enrich your life like it has done mine.

Happy frog keeping :-)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Williums

Read More...

Exotic Pets and Exotic Diseases

Each year literally hundreds of millions of legally imported exotic pets flood into the United States and Europe. Many of these animals can be happily hopping, swimming or crawling in the wild in South America, Asia or Africa one day, and find themselves in a cage in some child's bedroom in say, Ohio, less than a week later. Very often many of these pets are not subject to quarantine or any form of screening and come straight from the bush into our homes. Unfortunately many exotic pet owners are completely ignorant of the risks these animals may pose to their health.

Zoonotic Diseases

A zoonotic disease is one that can jump from animals to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that these types of diseases account for 75% of all emerging infectious threats. Here is just a small sample of the diseases your exotic pet can pass on to you.

* Cowpox - In a recent case in France four people were infected by cowpox after being scratched by pet rats that were all bought from the same pet store. In three of the cases surgery was required to treat the disease.(1)
* Salmonella - The majority of Salmonella infections originate from contaminated food. However it is estimated that 5 % of infections are linked to pets. It is believed that around 90% of reptiles, especially iguanas and turtles, carry Salmonella. The CDC estimates that 70,000 people in the USA are infected with Salmonella by pet reptiles every year. Between 2003 and 2004 many people in ten states all over the USA were infected with a drug-resistant form of the disease which was subsequently linked to pet hamsters and other rodents. (2)
* In 1994 African Pygmy Hedgehogs were linked to a rare form of Salmonella (S. tilene), when a 10 month old girl became the first human to be documented with this serotype in the USA. The girl's family kept a breeding herd of 80 hedgehogs and significantly she had not been in physical contact with them herself, only with a family member who had handled them. The same serotype was later diagnosed in 10 hedgehog owners in Canada. (3)
* Psittacosis - According to the CDC there are about 50 confirmed cases of Psittacosis each year in the USA, although they believe there may be many more cases that remain misdiagnosed or unreported. The disease is transmitted by pet birds such as parrots, parakeets, macaws, and cockatiels. Psittacosis can cause severe pneumonia and there have been several fatalities.(4)
* In New England in 2005 three transplant patients died after receiving organs from a human donor who had been infected with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus by a pet hamster. (5)
* Monkeypox - In 2003 there was an outbreak of Monkeypox in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Monkeypox is related to Smallpox and its symptoms include fever and the development of a papular rash. In all cases the people with the disease had been in contact with pet prairie dogs that had all come from the same source. (6)
* Ringworm - Despite its name ringworm or Tinea is actually a fungal skin infection. One source of ringworm is known to be pet and wild hedgehogs. Over the past few months the author's own blog has been covering a story where three people were infected with ringworm by two hoglets bought from the same breeder.This story is all the more disturbing as the breeder in question somehow managed to circumvent the UK's stringent quarantine laws and import several African Pygmy Hedgehogs directly into the country from Germany. She claims that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) allowed her to "home quarantine" the hedgehogs. It later transpired that the German breeder's herd was infected with ringworm. While at the breeder's home this infection was spread from the "German" hedgehogs to the "parents" of the two hoglets that later infected their new owners and a family member. It should be noted that Defra state that "home quarantine" would not be allowed under any circumstances. (7)
* Another recent CDC study lists an alarming number of confirmed and potential zoonotic diseases that pet and wild hedgehogs can carry. The confirmed diseases include Salmonella, Yersina, pseudotubercolosis, Mycobacterium marinum, Herpesvirus including human herpes simplex and Rabies. The potential diseases include Yersina pestis (also responsible for Bubonic plague) and hemorrhagic fever. (8)

What can you do to reduce the risk of infection?

Many researchers in the field of infectious diseases actively discourage ownership of any kind of exotic pet. However, exotic pet ownership is a fact of life and millions of them share our homes all over the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have several web pages that provide some excellent advice about reducing the risk of infection and information about the diseases themselves: http://www.cdc.gov/HEALTHYPETS/browse_by_animal.htm.

If you do decide to purchase an exotic pet buying it from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store or pet distributor, should provide you with more guarantees about the animal's origins. While the risk of catching some terrible disease from your pet is relatively small, owners must be aware that it does exist. If you follow the advice given on the CDC web site that risk is greatly reduced.

References:

1. Ninove L, Domart Y, Vervel C, Voinot C, Salez N, Raoult D, et al. Cowpox virus transmission from pet rats to humans, France. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 May; [Epub ahead of print]
2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - May 6, 2005 / 54(17);429-433
3. Journal of Clinical Microbiology Nov. 1997, p. 2786 - 2790 Human Salmonellosis Associated with Exotic Pets; David L Woodward, Rasik Khakhira & Wendy M Johnson National Laboratory for Enteric Pathogens, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
5. Margaret Ebrahim and John Solomon Associated Press Article - Nov. 27, 2006
6. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Centers for Disease Control and PreventionJune 13, 2003 / 52(23);537-540
7. Author's blog
8. Patricia Y. Riley and Bruno B. Chomel Emerging Infectious Diseases www.cdc.gov/eid Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2005

Get more tips and information about keeping and caring for pet hedgehogs at http://www.hedgehogsaspets.com
You can also read about the ringworm story mentioned in the article here: http://www.hedgehogsaspets.com/one-ringworm-to-rule-them-all/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_S_Murphy

Read More...

Facts About Frogs - A Frogs Life

The tree frog as its name states spends most of its time in the trees and only comes to the ground to breed and spawn. The term arboreal means tree dwelling.

As many of the species of tree frog have little defence against their predators (bats, spiders snakes and birds) tree frogs have adapted green colourations on their back.

Like the red eyed tree frog, during the day it lays dormant, covering up its amazing bright colours under its legs. Closes its bright red eyes with its green shaded eyelids to ensure that it is not seen. If this does not work it tries to mimic a poisonous mammal and shows its vivid purple and red in a last ditched effort to not get eaten. Although it has been suggested that bright colours function as sexual signals. This particular hypothesis is still up for debate.

Tree frogs can actually change its colour to a remarkable extent. So much so that if on a leaf it will be green but when on bark can change its colour to brownish grey. This is the importance the tree frog places on not being seen during the day. Because if they are discovered it is likely they will die.

The structure of the tree frog needs to be able to be carried by all kinds of branches and twigs. Unlike the ground aquatic frog or toad, the tree frog has to be able to efficiently move from branch to branch. However not all "tree frogs" are not necessarily forest dwellers. The closest that the European tree frog will get to a rainforest would likely be a sunny forest edge.

The European tree frog will more likely be seen in such places as wet gardens camping areas and parks with wetland areas nearby. This very reason is why the European tree frog is reasonable well known as they are frequently within human contact.

Crickets are the most commonly talked about foods that the tree frog eats but being carnivorous tree frogs have a wide food range to choose from. This is dependent on where they live and the particular species as to what is on offer. Frogs are known as opportunistic hunters and are not known to actively seek out prey rather sit in a good position and wait for insects to pass. Common foods are moth's flies crickets and any other species of insects that it knows are not poisonous.

The greatest threat to the tree frogs survival is not necessarily pollution or though that is a problem but habitat loss and degradation of agriculture and crops.

As far as reproduction goes, the tree frog reproduces slightly differently than ground dwelling frogs and each species is different. If we were talking about the red eyed tree frog specifically what happens is the male attracts the females with a call and then the female carries him on her back for a few hours. Instead of laying eggs directly within the water the red eyed tree frog lays its eggs on a leaf above the pond so that the tadpoles can hatch and drop into the water below.

The often dangerous life of the frog starts off even harder as the tadpoles are predated on by dragonflies, water beetles and fish amongst other things.

The transition period between the tadpoles to frog stage is the most stressful in the frogs life cycle. A lot of frogs are susceptible to predation or death here when the frog is consuming its own tail as the frog moves out of the water into an arboreal life.

I am just here to be of any assistance that I can. I have a 14 day ecourse ready for you at treefrogcenter.com to kick start your tree frog keeping. For you will need quality tree frog care advice from a guy who as done it.

This course is Absolutely free and will guide you along the road of taking action. As well as through the steps Required from being a complete newbie to frog care to having a full vivarium of tree frogs will full ability to feed them at very low cost, as well as have automated systems in place such that your tree frog caring becomes easy and rewarding.

All I ask is that you give this a go. I am not selling you anything here, merely asking you to hop over to treefrogcenter.com for a complete Free 14 day e course. It will also cover all aspects of frogs and frog facts

You have absolutely no obligation to buy anything, this is just some free information I want to give you in the hope that tree frog breeding and care will further enrich your life like it has done mine.

Happy frog keeping :-)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Williums

Read More...