Life, Death, and Taxonomy

“…and today we’re talking about something you might have felt bad about stepping on before.”

Did you know there is a vast jungle just outside your door? Though, vastness is relative to size of course. A garden is a big place for a mollusk that’s less than two inches long. The garden snail is a familiar friend that lives in an alien world within the shrubs and flowers. A land snail is no fish out of water. With a unique way to find and preserve moisture, they’re well equipped for Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

“…and today we’re talking about a bug with a very funny name. But more on that now.”

In the dead of night, amidst the hum of crickets and the flutter of wings, there’s one creature that buzzes around like a stealthy, flying ninja with a twist. It glides from flower to flower like a hummingbird on caffeine, its wings an iridescent blur. But the Yam Hawkmoth isn’t just another garden-variety moth—no, this one has a unique defense mechanism tucked away in an…ahem…unconventional spot. So, if you think all moths are just dusty butterflies, think again. There’s more to this little guy than meets the eye here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

“…and today we’re talking about a certain cervus. But more on that later.”

When you’re born into a prey animal species, it’s important to get up and running as soon as possible. But elk calves need a little time to unwind before they start bounding through the meadows. What can they do to avoid predators before they can keep up with the herd? Hide. But going incognito means being undetectable by sight, sound, and smell. Being imperceptible is a great way to start in Life, Death, and Taxonomy. 

“…and today we’re talking about a puffy stabber. But more on that later.”

The pufferfish has the incredible ability to inflate itself up like a balloon as a defense mechanism. But the interesting thing about this creature is that that’s not the only thing interesting about it. If you’re a fish, the easiest thing to catch are the slow moving citizens of the sea, but they usually have armor. The pufferfish knows the only way around that challenge is through in Life, Death, and Taxonomy. 

“…and today we’re talking about a forest pig that can clear the hacienda after every meal. But more on that later.”

When you’re a small pork family in the forest, staying together is the key to a happy life. But it’s easy to get separated among the thick foliage and tall trees. How can you see each other with all the shrubs and bushes in the way? How can you hear each other with the wind rustling through the leaves? No, it’s best to smell your way back to hearth and home. The javelina just just that, and they’ve developed a stinky fingerprint to tell each other apart in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

“…and today we’re talking about a frog that could have dropped into Normandy. But more on that later.”

In the canopy high, where the tall trees sway,

Lives a frog who glides in a daring display.

With webbed fingers spread, like wings in the breeze,

He leaps from the branches with elegant ease.

The wind is his friend as he soars through the air,

A parachute prince with a confident flair.

From treetop to treetop, he gracefully hops,

Avoiding the dangers of predator drops.

A leap and a glide, in the jungle so wide,

The parachuting frog is nature’s own pride.

“…and today we’re talking about a drill-faced fuzzy bug. But more on that later.”

Foodies pride themselves on variety and quality, but what if your face was designed around finding a single food item. The acorn weevil has a face that is specially designed to find, evaluate, and consume acorns– and that’s not all they do when they find a good one. Becoming a specialist and refining your taste is a great way to excel in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Measure Up

Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com. We don’t have a new Measure Up intro! 

4.2 to 13 mm

The acorn weevil is the same length as…

1. 1/7 a standard NFL football.
2. 1/1.2 acorns
3. 4 mustard seeds

Snout length

Also 13 mm

The acorn weevils snout is the same length as…

1. 1/4000 the Mingo oak
2. 13 poppyseeds
3. 21 strands of cow hair

Fact: The Mingo oak in WV is a white oak and the tallest oak tree in the world.

Major Fact: You Know The Drill

The female acorn weevil uses her long, slender snout to drill into developing acorns. She has small jaws at the end of her snout, which she uses to bore a tiny hole into the nut. They also have antena fine tunes to finding the right nut. But they are attacked halfway down the rostrum, so they can reach whatever she is tasting.

She does so by swiveling her head back and forth to work her way into the acorn. Her head and neck act as a ball and socket joint. The head swivels like a ball point pen so much that her eyes can pass back into her thorax.

Once the hole is made, she backs up and lays her eggs inside. The larvae then develop within the nut, feeding on it until they are ready to emerge.

The larvae feed on the kernel and, once fully developed, tunnel out of the nut, fall to the ground, and dig small chambers for themselves. They may remain in these chambers for one or two years before pupating.

In British Columbia, up to 66% of acorns from Garry oak (Quercus garryana) were infested with these larvae. Although these acorns can still germinate, their germination rate is lower compared to uninfected nuts.

“…and today we are talking about something extraordinary, but it might be just a fluke. But more on that later.”

“…and today we’re talking about a fish as long as the day is long. But more on that later.”

The ocean is huge. It’s probably bigger than you think. To cover it, you’d actually need 36 United States of America, and that’s not even mentioning its depth. At that is to say that the ocean can conceal extra large creature. One such behemoth, is the oarfish–which is so long, and so rare, it has become attached myths among seafarers. But truth and legend are often swirled together on the high seas in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

“…and today we’re talking about a species that is the cornerstone of civilization. But more on that later.”

It’s voting season here in the US. As humans, we get our ballots and our pens to participate in democracy, but honey bees do things a bit differently. When they want to vote on something that affects the whole hive, they look to the stars…namely Kevin Bacon, John Travolta, and Fred Astaire. In short, they dance. But whose dance will win the nomination? Well, it’s all in the gusto. And sometimes gusto is all you need to make your voice heard here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.