Lord Howe Island Stick Insect hatching from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Bugs in the news: Giant Stick Insects.
This morning, I read a cool story about some giant stick insects that became extinct from a tiny island, only to be re-discovered decades later on a nearby, even tinier island (really nothing more than a rocky remnant of a volcano that juts out of the sea, off the coast of Australia.) The story is here, and it's written by Robert Krulwich, who is one of my favorite PBS/NPR science guys, so if you like him too, you can imagine his voice when you read the story. There's a video at the end, too, of a giant stick insect hatching in captivity at the Melbourne Zoo. I have shared it below, in case you don't want to click over to read the whole story but you really should.
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I love stories like this! It gives a small glimmer of hope that species we've given up on might someday turn up in a more remote habitat. That island looks so forbidding... it's amazing that the species found its way there to begin with!
ReplyDeleteWOW cindy!!!! how cool is that!!!!! i was on the edge of my seat waiting for him to finally get all those long legs out of there!! amazing how so much body can fit in that tiny egg or casing or whatever it;s called!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that video the coolest?! Amazing insect, and wonderful story.
ReplyDelete(P.S. Can I just say that I LOVE your blog header?)
OMG I swear I broke a sweat trying to help him get his legs free!!! Oh the STRUGGLE!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVED this video!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!