adhere OR attach
81. Proboscis forms a flexible, sealed cylinder: butterfly
"The butterfly's proboscis, for example, is formed from the two soft 'lips' on the maxillae, which have become enormously elongated. When in use the two parts, semicircular in section, curl over and interlock to form a stiff but flexible cylindric...
Bookmark
Email
82. Feet grip waxy leaves: leaf beetle
The author noticed that when he tried to pick this beetle off of a palmetto leaf, he had to exert considerable force to pry them loose. "What the beetle does have on its feet is bristles, thousands of bristles, sticking out from the sole of each f...
83. Adhesion occurs in varying conditions: keyhole limpet
"The attachment mechanism used by limpets (Lottia) in the rocky, wave-swept intertidal zone of California was determined during high tide and low tide. The two mechanisms that limpets are known to use, suction and glue-like adhesion, were distingu...
84. Feet stay put: perching birds
"The Passeriformes or 'perching birds' have the typical bird foot: three toes forward and one behind, with which a bird can perch crosswise on a branch. A bird's sole is covered with rough bumpy skin, so that it can obtain purchase even on a small...
85. Adhesive glues prey: velvet worms
"They shoot at prey with an adhesive liquid ejected by two nozzles next to the mouth. The nozzles move from side to side as they fire, causing the stream of glue to crisscross in a lasso-like motion. The glue travels nearly 3 feet (1 m) and dries ...
86. Claws hold on at high current velocities: riffle beetle
"The tarsi of aquatic insects all have terminal claws. In riffle beetles, the claws are large and stout. This enables them to retain their position even at high current velocities." (Giller and Malmqvist 1998:115)
87. Footpads stick to vertical surfaces: great green bushcricket
"Like the gecko, the great green bushcricket (Tettigonia viridissima) is endowed with 'sticky' feet. It can walk on smooth vertical surfaces, and even upside down, with no trouble. Unlike the gecko, the bushcricket has smooth footpads. It relies n...
88. Spinal column has strength and flexibility: armored shrew
"Armored shrews (Scutisorex somereni) have a unique skeletal feature. Interlocking lateral, dorsal, and ventral vertebral spines create an exceptionally sturdy vertebral column. Despite this feature, these shrews still have considerable flexibilit...
89. Detachable bristles immobilize ants: Polyxenid millipede
"Unlike most millipedes, whose body surface is smooth, P. fasciculatus is densely beset with bristles. These are neatly arranged in transverse rows along the back, and in sets of flower-like clusters along the flanks. Projecting from the rear and ...
90. Leaves modified for climbing: glory lilies
"Almost every element of plant anatomy, it seems, can be turned into some kind of climbing device. The cheese plant climbs with its roots, sending them out from its nodes, the places on its stem from which leaves normally spring, and wrapping them...
search tools
- If you would like to save this search, please login.
