The biological study of animals
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1answer
88 views
Color of the Fur coat of Polar bears
Recently I was playing a quiz and a question was asked about the color of the fur coat of a polar bear. To my surprise the answer was black. I thought it was yellowish white or creamy. Why so ?
2
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1answer
1k views
Can all mammals swim?
When I checked it seemed trivial to answer: yes, all mammals can swim. But research on the internet provided different information. I found:
people and primates cannot swim, but can be taught how to ...
2
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1answer
42 views
Do male marsupials have a pouch?
Do male marsupials have a pouch, or is it a female organ only (like the womb)?
2
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2answers
112 views
What would it take to recognize a deer by its photo?
I am trying to recognize a deer by its antlers or any other means.
Elaborating:
I was hoping to use their antlers to recognize them but I have heard that most deers shed their antlers every year so ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
What kind of caterpillar is this?
I've made a photo using the reversed 58 mm lens and my cropped DSLR:
Could you please help? I really don't know where this came from.
I found it in Russia.
2
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1answer
52 views
Diet of free-range herbivores
Giving minimal credence to estimates in popular media of the average biomass of insects/arachnids, etc. in an acre of land, it seems that a "free-range" cow (I don't mean to pick on cows) might be ...
2
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1answer
38 views
Would non-human carnivores be able to survive on farmed foods?
Certain creatures that are considered carnivores are non-obligate carnivores and are technically omnivores (such as wolves/dogs). How different is the potential digestive ability of these species ...
2
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1answer
37 views
Do cockroaches eat their shells after moulting?
I recently witnessed a cockroach eat its shell after it moulted. Do cockroaches always do this?
2
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1answer
87 views
By What Mechanism can Felines Reverse Diabetes?
To my knowledge house cats (and likely other felines) are the only animal able to go into remission after onset of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. I don't have a reference, this has been by peers in my ...
2
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1answer
66 views
Reattaching body parts
Is there any living organism that has the ability to remove and reattach body parts at will?
I'm not talking about regeneration (like in starfish). Say I'm chasing prey, and I decide that my tail ...
2
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1answer
142 views
Why apes started to contemplate and become altruistic? [closed]
I was asking this first on philosophy forums, but it is suggested, that answer could be found from evolutionary view of point, so here we go:
Again my question raised when thinking of myths, their ...
2
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0answers
36 views
Why do ants dig surface paths?
A few days ago I observed a corridor built and used by ants that went over a path in fields:
Why do they build it? It seems it doesn't bring any considerable protection from the surrounding ...
2
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0answers
59 views
Will a completely removed cat whisker grow back?
I just accidentally pulled out, while playing, my cat's whisker entirely, follicle and all. I feel terribly as I know she is a kitten and whiskers are rooted deep in a place rich in nerves. I'm ...
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3answers
103 views
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2answers
102 views
Can the body of any organism on Earth live without impairment both in vacuum, and within Earth's atmosphere?
I know from reading that a human in vacuum needs a space-suit to survive.
Is the body of any organism on Earth capable of living equally in vacuum, and on/below Earth's surface within the ...
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vote
2answers
122 views
Can someone identify this bird?
We recently found a nest in the back garden and a little bird inside. Can you help us identify it? The nest is quite small like the bird so we are wondering whether this is the parent or a baby chick. ...
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2answers
81 views
Do any cells change in size or mass as mammals grow?
That is to say, are there cells that, between infancy and adulthood, get larger? Or is all growth done entirely via cell division? I'm wondering if it is safe to assume that the approximate number ...
1
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1answer
24 views
Can songbirds mimic car alarm sounds?
A silly question. A few days ago I observed a very vocal bird with impressive vocal variety. It was rapidly switching from one tune to the next. After sometime I realized that the bird might be ...
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2answers
87 views
What organs are absolutely needed by the human body?
The title is my question: what organs are absolutely needed (fatal if injured/removed) by the human body and perhaps animals in general?
I'm not asking which organs are mechanically replaceable, but ...
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2answers
89 views
How to know if a woman is fertile without actually making her pregnant?
How to know if a human female is fertile (can give birth to child in future) without making her pregnant? Any signs, tests?
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1answer
52 views
What type of photosynthesis is performed by phytoplankton?
I am not a biologist, but I know there exist three variants of photosynthesis, namely C3, C4 and CAM.
I would like to know what type is used by the ocean's phytoplankton? It might also be that ...
1
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2answers
37 views
How long can you keep sheep eyes in formaldehyde before dissecting?
We're preparing for an experiment in our classroom and my teaching partner and I are at different points in the unit. I am concerned that the experiment will be less successful because of the ...
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2answers
53 views
General undergraduate zoology textbook recommendation?
I am very interested in zoology,and I want to study zoology in my spare time.
Any undergraduate level zoology text book recommendation?
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1answer
46 views
Is it possible to pet/groom birds?
I wonder if it's possible to pet a domestic crow, or an owl. Do birds respond to grooming as cats or dogs, for example? If so, then how does one pet a bird?
1
vote
1answer
44 views
How do animals/plants change for each season?
The question pretty much sums it up. How do animals/plants change for each: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter?
A detailed explanation on distinct behaviour and appearance changes would be nice.
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Is there an animal which, when eaten by other animal, poisons the predator and gets out of it's stomach?
It was a question in one competition, but it remained unanswered and i am curious about an answer.
There was a hint: American bullfrog
but i can not find any example of this behaviour on the web.
1
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1answer
33 views
How do pet gecko lizards pose a health risk?
Does having gecko lizards living in your house pose any health risk?
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0answers
21 views
Do the antlers re-grow in the same pattern every year? [duplicate]
I am a software engineer and I am trying to develop a system to identify a deer by its photograph.
Most deers lose their antlers every year. I would like to know if they re-grow in the same pattern ...
1
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0answers
22 views
Where might I find a list of all recorded instincts by species?
Where might I find a list of all recorded instincts (possibly with all other attributes) by species?
Thanks,
Chenz
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0answers
46 views
What marine animals exhibit deep hibernation/aestivation?
Do marine animals exhibit deep hibernation/aestivation as land-based creatures do?
If not, Why?
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Are ape communities more “anarchist” or “communist” in structure?
I am using these terms because we can imagine them quite good, I guess ;)
By "anarchist" I mean that the ape wants to live without the rule of others apes(same biological race or other) and he pursue ...
0
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2answers
54 views
What beetle is this?
I've found it in my kitchen. It seems to be that he flew through the window from the street.
The country is Russia.
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2answers
64 views
What kind of arthropod/animal is this?
Can anyone identify this strange creature? I live in a very urban part of Montreal, Canada. It wasn't moving (seemed dead) and although the image is huge, it wasn't as big as it seems (a couple of ...
0
votes
1answer
312 views
Does cockroach lay eggs in human flesh when they “bite”?
Recently, i have "bite" by cockroach, not only the "bitten" area red and swallowing, and more specificly, it have a big hole in that area, when i clean it with hydrogen peroxide solution, something is ...
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1answer
70 views
What insect is this?
I found it in Russia.
Where they usually live? What they eat?
Full length is approximately 2 cm.
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1answer
46 views
Does anyone know what marsupial this is? [closed]
I know what this is a marsupial, but i'm not quite sure which one. Any thoughts?
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2answers
161 views
Do cockroaches have less health issues than humans?
Cockroaches are known to live in very dirty places like sewers. Does this cause them to evolve to be stronger against parasites and bacteria? Recently I read online that cockroaches can sustain ...
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0answers
31 views
Polymorphism in cnidarians?
The phenomenon of polymorphism in cnidarians is a particularly a troubling one, at least to me. I gather that it essentially refers to existence of various different forms or rather kinds of ...
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0answers
21 views
Avian Diseases : How to Disinfect
How can I sanitize a bird's carcass so that no diseases are present after disinfection? I was thinking $\gamma$-ray bombardment since ozonation would only surface disinfect.
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0answers
28 views
How are zooids identified?
Physalia (Portuguese Man O'War) and other siphonophores are called colonial animals because despite their appearance as a complete organism, they are an organized colony of organisms called zooids.
I ...
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0answers
25 views
When is wing growth in the bat complete and how soon can bats fly after wing growth is complete?
I was reading this paper by Cretekos et al (2008), in which they state that wing development in the bat is not complete until after birth - the wing continues to elongate postnatally. This would ...
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0answers
110 views
What makes a cockroach able to survive in a sewer when there is a big weakness point for them: their respiratory hole
What makes a cockroach able to survive in a sewer when there is a big weakness point for them: their respiratory hole?
I know that when i wipe soap water on their respiratory hole, later on, those ...
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0answers
1k views
Which species of animals have females as dominant (alpha) [closed]
In hyena species females are dominant (alpha) over males, can you give me any examples of other species in which females are dominant.
