Today's Reading
Other myths revolve around the camel spider's physical capabilities. Legend has it that they can run up to 25 miles per hour and jump three to six feet into the air, and that they can and will aggressively chase humans down.
To be fair, camel spiders can hustle at up to 16 miles per hour, but they don't jump much at all. That won't stop them from chasing you.
If you find a camel spider hiding in your shadow and run, however, they will likely give pursuit. This is not out of any innate aggressiveness but rather because they were using your shadow to escape the sun and you rudely moved it. I fear I'm coming off as a bit of a downer—one of those annoying scientists who steals away the world's mysteries and replaces them with cold and uncaring facts. I'll end, then, with an unsolved camel spider mystery.
As scary as some humans might find these desert-dwelling arachnids, we have almost nothing to worry about. Ants, however, are not so lucky.
Camel spiders will sometimes roll up on an anthill, massacre the colony, and tear up the nest. The marauding solifugid can tear apart an entire ant army with ease, while totally impervious to its prey's counterattacks. Giving no quarter, the miniature avatar of Shelob presses its offensive into the anthill itself, tearing up the earth in its frenzied assault.
For all the energy that camel spiders spend mowing down ants and sacking their homes, however, they have not been witnessed eating the ants, leaving their motive for the attacks an enigma. One leading hypothesis is that the camel spiders burrow into the nests to eat the ant larvae hidden within, but this remains so far unproven.
This murderous habit of the camel spider lingers as a mystery to be solved by those too curious not to fuck with the wildlife.
Forest Ray is a former paratrooper and current science reporter based in Long Beach, California.
NERD NITE MIAMI
MILITARY MARINE MAMMALS: Dolphins So Smart They Should Give Their Own Nerd Nite Presentation
by Laura Chaibongsai
Most scientists would tell you that humans are the smartest animal in the world. Our large brain size, number and density of neurons, and ability to both communicate and use tools place us at the top of the intelligence charts. However, I live in Florida and have personally met "Florida man" so I have my doubts.
Bottlenose dolphins on the other hand are also extremely intelligent and don't throw alligators through drive-thru windows or try to stop hurricanes by shooting at them (#FloridaMan).
Dolphins have a similar relative brain size (encephalization quotient) as humans, they communicate with whistles and clicks, and they have the ability to learn, apply knowledge, and even recognize themselves. They can alter their surroundings and use tools; some dolphins will cover their rostrum with a sponge to protect themselves as they dig up prey from the ocean floor. And most important, many believe dolphins have sex for fun, so obviously they're smart.
In addition to their brilliance and trainability, bottlenose dolphins can dive to nearly 1,000 feet and have sophisticated natural sonar, so they make excellent partners for the US Navy. Since 1959, the US Navy has been training dolphins to detect underwater mines and locate "unauthorized" swimmers or divers near their harbors in the United States and abroad. These highly trained service members mark a mine or attach a device to the diver and return to their boat unharmed for a fishy treat.
Navy seals, well, actually, sea lions, are also an integral part of the navy's Marine Mammal Program. California sea lions have the ability to dive deep, can maneuver through tight, cluttered areas like harbors, and have excellent vision and hearing. The navy has relied on them to recover equipment that is dropped into the ocean—the navy's gear isn't cheap, so they want it back!—as well as patrol harbors like dolphins do.
In addition to their service to the military, navy dolphins and sea lions have been the focus of over 1,200 scientific publications throughout 60-plus years of research, ranging from studies on sleeping behavior to the impacts of oil exposure after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, contributing greatly to our understanding of both captive and wild marine mammals.
While someday soon robots or drones will take over most of their tasks, the technology may never match the exceptional skills of the dolphins and sea lions who have supported the US military for over sixty years.
Laura Chaibongsai is a marine science nerd and the boss of Nerd Nite Miami. As a professional science communicator, Laura specializes in citizen science, community engagement, research development, and finding creative ways to translate ridiculously complex research topics for nerds of all ages and backgrounds!
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