Walk Softly – Strange Things Animals Do

by Geoffrey Carpentier

I just returned from an adventure in Australia and Indonesia, and it got me thinking about strange creatures and how they survive; even plants can do odd things. Did you know many species of mangroves can collect salt in their leaves and expel this toxin by simply dropping the leaves, when ‘full’ into the ocean? Yup!

So let’s explore a few unusual things animals can do.

Owls have the ability to twist their heads around, more than 180 degrees, so they can see directly behind, in front and to the side. This helps them spot prey and predators. You would think, in doing so, they might interfere with the function of the neck vertebrae and blood transport. Well, it certainly would, were it not for the fact, they only have a single point of attachment for their spinal cord to their head. They also have a system, where, certain arteries are not impacted by the extreme turning of their head. Blood can also flow normally through their body, regardless of the angle.

Unhemispherical Slow Wave Sleep (USWS), what the heck is that? In many animals, one side of the brain goes into deep non-REM sleep, while the other half remains active and alert. This phenomenon has been observed in many species, from whales, to dolphins, to birds (e.g. Mallards, Sperm Whales, White-sided Dolphins). The visual clue to us, is, we might see one eye open and the other closed, when we observe an animal utilizing USWS. The eye closest to the potential access path of a predator is the one usually kept open. So, if a flock of Mallards is observed sitting and resting, the one on the end may have that outward facing eye open, and the bird on the other end have the other eye open, while all in between may have both eyes closed, actually in a deep REM sleep. How they choose which one preforms which function is a mystery.

However, in some species, such as dolphins, where predators are fewer, the opposite may be true; they keep the eye in the middle of the group open to allow them to see what the pod is doing, not predators. Other functions, such as breathing, for underwater species is critical, so their brain is adapted, such that, they can surface and breathe without waking up. Another advantage of this type of sleep is, birds which migrate long distances over water and ones which can’t swim can actually fly while sleeping, using one half of their brain to navigate while the other half rests. Studies seem to indicate, while although some species, such as the Alpine Swift, can stay aloft for up to 200 days, they can only navigate when soaring, not flapping, as that requires different muscular stimulation and manipulation. However, other species may also be able to flap while flying, but it is unclear why some species can do this while others can’t.

Speaking of flying, bats are the only animal which can truly fly, but they have trouble getting airborne, if using conventional perches like birds do. To offset this, they simply hang upside down, and when they want to take flight, they just let go and gravity takes them, they flip over and off they go. Easy peasy!

Parkour is a sport in which participants attempt to get from one point to another, in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without using assisting equipment and often while performing acrobatic feats. Apparently squirrels are ‘traceurs’ (like people who practice parkour by leaping, bounding, climbing and bouncing through an obstacle course) as these rodents gauge the pliability and springiness of branches when jumping. They quickly learn about distance, free fall styles, angles, speed and how to stick a landing after only a few tries. So, if you think you might be able to actually squirrel-proof your feeders, think again!

Nature never ceases to leave me in awe. While we think of these antics as amazing or amusing, they are tactics and abilities, critical to the survival of the species, not just fun and games!

Geoff Carpentier is a published author, expedition guide and environmental consultant. Visit Geoff on-line on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.