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Autohaemorrhage
Autohaemorrhaging, or reflex bleeding, is the action of animals deliberately ejecting blood from their bodies. Autohaemorrhaging has been observed as occurring in two variations. In the first form, blood is squirted toward a predator. The blood of these animals usually contains toxic compounds, making the behaviour an effective chemical defence mechanism. In the second form, blood is not squirted, but is slowly emitted from the animal's body. This form appears to serve a deterrent effect, and is used by animals whose blood does not seem to be toxic. Most animals that autohaemorrhage are insects, but some reptiles also display this behaviour. Some organisms have shown an ability to tailor their autohaemorrhaging response. Armoured crickets will projectile autohaemorrhage over longer distances when attacked from the side, compared to being attacked from an overhead predator. Insects Six orders of insects have been observed to utilize this defence mechanism. *Beetles **Meloidae ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phrynosoma Orbiculare
The Mexican Plateau horned lizard (''Phrynosoma orbiculare'') is a species of horned lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species, also known commonly as the Chihuahua Desert horned lizard, is endemic to Mexico. There are five recognized subspecies. The specific epithet, ''orbiculare'', comes from the Latin adjective ''orbis'', meaning "circular". Description ''P. orbiculare'' has a characteristic single row of lateral abdominal fringe scales. This "horned toad" also has two short occipital horns. Geographic range ''P. orbiculare'' is found only in the high plateau country of central Mexico. Specifically, it is found in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango, Morelos, Nuevo León, Puebla, and Veracruz. Habitat ''P. orbiculare'' occurs in a wide range of primary habitats (dry scrubland, pine-oak forest, oak forest, juniper forest) and secondary habitats (agricultural land, and agave and '' Opuntia'' fields). Subspecies Five subspecies of ''P. orbiculare'' are reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
