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Lying about deception (latest radio contest)
7 years ago
General
radio show 4/24/19 Today I’m going to lie to you about… deception.
1 Watership downer, or: Do not ask for whom the fox trolls. He trolls for thee!
Red foxes are known for their distinctive yipping and screaming vocalizations, but they are capable of much more subtle sounds. Foxes of Hampshire, in the south of England, have even been observed to mimic the soft humming love calls male rabbits make during mating season, luring out randy rabbit bucks in much the same way human hunters lure out rutting deer and elk.
2 The Coral Reef Cleaner Con
Cleaner fish are the allies of many other fish species, which allow them to eat their parasites and dead skin in a mutually beneficial partnership. One species of cleaner, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, has run into a bit of a complication with this partnership. That complication is… the bluestriped fangblenny. This fish has evolved to closely resemble the appearance and movements of the cleaner wrasse, but instead of trimming away parasites it bites off bits of living flesh. The fangblenny even produces an opioid-containing venom which dulls pain and lowers blood pressure, confusing the bitten host and giving the cheating mimic more time to consummate its scam. Host fish are not pleased, when they finally catch on, and when innocent cleaner wrasses later appear, they will often be rejected… or eaten.
3 Deadly deception wet…
South American horned frogs have jaws as strong as a small dog, and can swallow whole animals as big as they are, including other frogs, lizards, snakes and rodents. These frogs often conceal themselves beneath detritus and mud, and lure prey close by lifting a rear leg up and over the head, wiggling its toes to attract the attention of the potential meal. Once the victim is in range the frog will lunge forward, snapping up the unwary victim in its gigantic mouth.
4 And dry.
The spider-tailed horned viper of western Iran also likes to bury itself for concealment - this time in sand, not mud. This snake feeds primarily on birds, luring them close by twitching the tip of its tail, which is left unburied. This tail tip bears a distinctive cluster of long, scraggly scales which resemble the legs of a spider. When feeding birds hop close to investigate, the viper lunges out from the sand, and sinks home its deadly fangs.
1 Watership downer, or: Do not ask for whom the fox trolls. He trolls for thee!
Red foxes are known for their distinctive yipping and screaming vocalizations, but they are capable of much more subtle sounds. Foxes of Hampshire, in the south of England, have even been observed to mimic the soft humming love calls male rabbits make during mating season, luring out randy rabbit bucks in much the same way human hunters lure out rutting deer and elk.
2 The Coral Reef Cleaner Con
Cleaner fish are the allies of many other fish species, which allow them to eat their parasites and dead skin in a mutually beneficial partnership. One species of cleaner, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, has run into a bit of a complication with this partnership. That complication is… the bluestriped fangblenny. This fish has evolved to closely resemble the appearance and movements of the cleaner wrasse, but instead of trimming away parasites it bites off bits of living flesh. The fangblenny even produces an opioid-containing venom which dulls pain and lowers blood pressure, confusing the bitten host and giving the cheating mimic more time to consummate its scam. Host fish are not pleased, when they finally catch on, and when innocent cleaner wrasses later appear, they will often be rejected… or eaten.
3 Deadly deception wet…
South American horned frogs have jaws as strong as a small dog, and can swallow whole animals as big as they are, including other frogs, lizards, snakes and rodents. These frogs often conceal themselves beneath detritus and mud, and lure prey close by lifting a rear leg up and over the head, wiggling its toes to attract the attention of the potential meal. Once the victim is in range the frog will lunge forward, snapping up the unwary victim in its gigantic mouth.
4 And dry.
The spider-tailed horned viper of western Iran also likes to bury itself for concealment - this time in sand, not mud. This snake feeds primarily on birds, luring them close by twitching the tip of its tail, which is left unburied. This tail tip bears a distinctive cluster of long, scraggly scales which resemble the legs of a spider. When feeding birds hop close to investigate, the viper lunges out from the sand, and sinks home its deadly fangs.
