… deterring biting flies.
The purpose of the black and white stripes on zebra has been the subject of some speculation. One suggestion is that stripes make it difficult for predators to single out an individual zebra from the herd, but experimental evidence to support that and other ideas has been lacking.
Turns out bloodsucking horseflies and tsetse flies who do not only deliver nasty bites but also carry dangerous germs find zebra stripes less attractive than uniform colouration.
(#27 of 100)
The New Zealand nursery web spider ( Dolomedes minor) is a spider endemic to New Zealand.
The female of the species carries her eggs with her until they are ready to hatch, she then spins a “nursery” in which the young spiderlings can develop.
She guards the nursery by sitting on it at night and hiding close by during the day.
Have a closer look; you will notice the little spiderlings in the nursery (where her posterior middle leg touches the web).
(#26 of 100)
Freelance, (free lance) came into being to describe a knight who was not in bound service to a liege lord (during the Middle Ages – feudal system). Thus fleelance is literally a free (not bound) lance.
Freelance was only recognized as a verb in the twentieth century (1903).
(#25 of 100)
The Barn owl (Tyto alba) is one of New Zealand’s youngest (most recent) native (indigenous) species.
Barn owls, which are one of the most wide spread owl species in the world, have only been breeding successfully in New Zealand since 2008 after arriving here on their own .
New Zealand National Bird of Pray Centre; Wingspan.
(#24 of 100)
In Fiordland, runoff from the unusually high rainfall creates a permanent tannin stained fresh water layer ranging in depth between 5cm and 10m on top of the salt water.
This dark fresh water layer prevents light from penetrating the ocean and as a consequence many marine species which are usually restricted to deep water (depth larger than 100 meters) flourish in shallow water (depths of less than 50 meters).
This allows recreational divers to observe species that normally live beyond their recreational dive depth range.
(#23 of 100)
Crocodiles have a heart with four chambers (two connected to the lungs and two connected to the rest of the body) just like birds and mammals.
However crocodiles also have the ability to have their heart act as a three chambered heart to mix oxygenated and deoxygenated blood (through the foramen of Panizza) to slow down their metabolism.
The also have a further mechanism (a cog toothed valve) to completely block the flow of blood to the lungs when submerged.
(#22 of 100)
The lion (Panthera leo) is the only cat species that has a tassel at the end of its tail.
(#21 of 100)
Locusts / grasshoppers of the order Phymateus eat poisonous plants like the milkweed and store the poisons in their bodies to deter their predators.
There are a number of species and subspecies with a variety of colours. This image is of the common milkweed locust (Phymateus morbillosus).
(#20 of 100)
Fur seals can turn their hind flippers down and thus walk on all fours while real seals are limited to an awkward belly movement on land.
(#19 of 100)
Dolphins, much like human swimmers have to consciously think about breathing as breathing can only occur at or above the surface.
Unlike human swimmers, dolphins remain in the water indefinitely and have to sleep in it. To manage both surface breathing and resting they “sleep” one half of their brain and close one eye at a time.
It is common for dolphins to rest in pairs, keeping an eye on their partner (inner eyes open).
(#18 of 100)