Monday, November 19, 2012
CrocTalk = Conservation / Education at it's Best!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Croc/Gator Jaws Sensitive as Fingertips
Thank you Jon Bardin (novemember 8th 2012)
Crocodile and alligator jaws are covered with an array of tiny sensors that make them more sensitive than a human fingertip, according to a paper published Thursday in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The surprising discovery explains the purpose of the sensors, which was previously unknown.
The tiny bumps, which can be found on the jaws and inside the mouths of alligators and crocodiles -- as well as all over the bodies of crocs -- conceal a vast network of nerve fibers that extend from the skin to the brain via a small hole in the skull. Before now, researchers had used the bumps to tell different species of crocs apart.
Nevertheless, no one had much of a sense of what they did. Some thought they detected how much salt was present in the water, aiding navigation, while others thought they helped the animals detect ripples in the water.
Duncan Leitch and Ken Catania of Vanderbilt University set out to settle the mystery. And when they cut away at one of the small sensors, they found the network of nerve fibers hiding underneath. This suggests the bumps are involved in sensing the world around the animals.
But what, exactly, do they sense? Given past theories about water salinity, Leitch and Catania first tried changing the amount of salt in water around the bump while measuring whether the nerve fibers became active. Nothing. The same was true for changing the electrical field. But when they tickled the sensor with a tiny hair, the nerves immediately became active — and it worked with a touch that we wouldn’t even feel on our fingertips.
All it required, the researchers report, was pressing the sensor down a mere four-millionths of a meter.
To confirm this supersensitivity, the researchers observed crocodiles in a tank and recorded what happened when food brushed against their jaws. They found that the animals snapped their jaws on the food within 50 to 100 milliseconds of contact, an incredibly fast reaction.
Leitch
and Catania believe the animals developed these bumps to allow them to
be better hunters in the water, and to aid them in caring for their
young. Crocodiles and alligators use their jaws to remove young from
their eggs and to carry them around, tasks that extreme sensitivity
would certainly help.
Crocodile and alligator jaws are covered with an array of tiny sensors that make them more sensitive than a human fingertip, according to a paper published Thursday in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The surprising discovery explains the purpose of the sensors, which was previously unknown.
The tiny bumps, which can be found on the jaws and inside the mouths of alligators and crocodiles -- as well as all over the bodies of crocs -- conceal a vast network of nerve fibers that extend from the skin to the brain via a small hole in the skull. Before now, researchers had used the bumps to tell different species of crocs apart.
Nevertheless, no one had much of a sense of what they did. Some thought they detected how much salt was present in the water, aiding navigation, while others thought they helped the animals detect ripples in the water.
Duncan Leitch and Ken Catania of Vanderbilt University set out to settle the mystery. And when they cut away at one of the small sensors, they found the network of nerve fibers hiding underneath. This suggests the bumps are involved in sensing the world around the animals.
But what, exactly, do they sense? Given past theories about water salinity, Leitch and Catania first tried changing the amount of salt in water around the bump while measuring whether the nerve fibers became active. Nothing. The same was true for changing the electrical field. But when they tickled the sensor with a tiny hair, the nerves immediately became active — and it worked with a touch that we wouldn’t even feel on our fingertips.
All it required, the researchers report, was pressing the sensor down a mere four-millionths of a meter.
To confirm this supersensitivity, the researchers observed crocodiles in a tank and recorded what happened when food brushed against their jaws. They found that the animals snapped their jaws on the food within 50 to 100 milliseconds of contact, an incredibly fast reaction.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Yes I can’t!
Yes I can’t!
It seems the older I get the more things I discover that I can’t do. Now I know when it comes to motivational speaking and inspiration speaking we are supposed to tell the world that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. But in actual fact there are some things that I cannot do, and I have yet to find anyone that can. Now none of these things are necessarily life threatening, they are more just things to be aware of that will make you life more ideal.
1. Yes I can’t, talk and listen at the same time. The fact is if I am talking I can hear, but I cannot listen. There is a definite difference. When I am talking I am focused on what I am saying and forming the next thought I am about to speak about. There is no room for me to actually listen to what might be being said at the same time as I am talking. I have yet to find someone who can do both. So what? Well what that means is if you are talking to someone about something important and they are talking at the same time, neither of you are communicating with the other. The person you are addressing is not listening. So one of you has to shut up. Even if you start to talk louder (BTW loudest talker never wins, they are just louder) your audience can hear you but are not listening.
2. Yes I can’t, focus ALL my energy on more than 1 priority at a time. I have written about this before, but it’s important too note that you can only have 1 priority. All the other things on your list of “priorities” fall 2nd, 3rd and 4th. By it’s definition priority is singular. You can only have one. So it you are splitting your focus between two different but very important task… ALL your energy is not being concentrated on 1. (I’m not good at math but even I can figure that out). So the tip here is to determine what you are going to focus on… because that then becomes your #1 Priority. If the other things on your list do not manifest and you wonder why.. it’s because you are not given them ALL the attention,energy and focus they deserve… they are not your priority. NOW YOU KNOW!
3. Yes I can’t, Hold two different vibrations at the same time. This is great actually because we are in control of what vibration we hold. Vibration is just another words for feeling. We cannot feel good and feel bad at the same time. We cannot get a positive result from a negative vibe or feeling. We cannot get a negative result from a positive feeling. A good attitude gets a good result. I can change the results I am getting by changing the feelings I have and I am in control of how I feel. I have not found anyone that can hold two different vibrations at the exact same time. So… (you have heard this before) change you mind change your life.
It seems the older I get the more things I discover that I can’t do. Now I know when it comes to motivational speaking and inspiration speaking we are supposed to tell the world that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. But in actual fact there are some things that I cannot do, and I have yet to find anyone that can. Now none of these things are necessarily life threatening, they are more just things to be aware of that will make you life more ideal.
1. Yes I can’t, talk and listen at the same time. The fact is if I am talking I can hear, but I cannot listen. There is a definite difference. When I am talking I am focused on what I am saying and forming the next thought I am about to speak about. There is no room for me to actually listen to what might be being said at the same time as I am talking. I have yet to find someone who can do both. So what? Well what that means is if you are talking to someone about something important and they are talking at the same time, neither of you are communicating with the other. The person you are addressing is not listening. So one of you has to shut up. Even if you start to talk louder (BTW loudest talker never wins, they are just louder) your audience can hear you but are not listening.
2. Yes I can’t, focus ALL my energy on more than 1 priority at a time. I have written about this before, but it’s important too note that you can only have 1 priority. All the other things on your list of “priorities” fall 2nd, 3rd and 4th. By it’s definition priority is singular. You can only have one. So it you are splitting your focus between two different but very important task… ALL your energy is not being concentrated on 1. (I’m not good at math but even I can figure that out). So the tip here is to determine what you are going to focus on… because that then becomes your #1 Priority. If the other things on your list do not manifest and you wonder why.. it’s because you are not given them ALL the attention,energy and focus they deserve… they are not your priority. NOW YOU KNOW!
3. Yes I can’t, Hold two different vibrations at the same time. This is great actually because we are in control of what vibration we hold. Vibration is just another words for feeling. We cannot feel good and feel bad at the same time. We cannot get a positive result from a negative vibe or feeling. We cannot get a negative result from a positive feeling. A good attitude gets a good result. I can change the results I am getting by changing the feelings I have and I am in control of how I feel. I have not found anyone that can hold two different vibrations at the exact same time. So… (you have heard this before) change you mind change your life.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Alligator Love: Gators Sometimes Mate For Life - ABC News
Alligator Love: Gators Sometimes Mate For Life - ABC News
In working with our six species here at CrocTalk Conservation for the many years I’ve been doing so I have found that the American Alligator in particular, Alli and Lucy McGator have been showing an increasing personal action towards protecting what they may consider to be a “mate”…Me.
It’s been increasingly obvious that these two females, in simple words, show aggression towards anyone who gets close to me (in their environment) during cleaning for example. Remember this is in a captive environment so when I saw this article this morning written by Lee Dye it seemed very familiar to us here at CrocTalk that we are living this experience here everyday.
I’ll be writing a more personal in depth opinion shortly…enjoy
In working with our six species here at CrocTalk Conservation for the many years I’ve been doing so I have found that the American Alligator in particular, Alli and Lucy McGator have been showing an increasing personal action towards protecting what they may consider to be a “mate”…Me.
It’s been increasingly obvious that these two females, in simple words, show aggression towards anyone who gets close to me (in their environment) during cleaning for example. Remember this is in a captive environment so when I saw this article this morning written by Lee Dye it seemed very familiar to us here at CrocTalk that we are living this experience here everyday.
I’ll be writing a more personal in depth opinion shortly…enjoy
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