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Worming a way through life
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 06/23/2006 3:41 PM
Image being so ravenous that you would literally eat yourself, or both you and your partner being fertilized during a hot, steamy night. The world of creepy-crawlies can be a source of wonder.
* Human tapeworms can grow up to 22.9 meters.
* Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food.
* A leech is a worm that feeds on blood. It will pierce its victim's skin, fill itself with three to four times its own body weight in blood, and will not feed again for months. Leeches were once used by doctors to drain ""bad blood"" from sick patients.
* After snails mate, they both lay eggs.
* Snails produce a colorless, sticky discharge that forms a protective carpet under them as they travel along. The discharge is so effective that they can crawl along the edge of a razor without cutting themselves.
* A snail takes 33 hours to crawl one-and-a-half kilometers.
* Snails can sleep for three years.
* Slugs have four noses.
* Snakes are immune to their own poison.
* Most snakes have either only one lung, or in some cases two, with one much smaller than the other. This serves to make room for other organs in their elongated bodies.
* Snakes can't blink.
* The anaconda, one of the world's largest snakes, gives birth to its young instead of laying eggs.
* Iguanas, koalas and Komodo dragons all appear to have two penises. In reality they have a single penis, but it is split in two. Snakes also share this feature. The dual penis is for ease of left-handed or right-handed mating.
* An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.
* A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.
* A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.
* The chameleon has several cell layers beneath its transparent skin. These layers are the source of the chameleon's color change. Some of the layers contain pigments, while others just reflect light to create new colors. Several factors contribute to the color change. A popular misconception is that chameleons change color to match their environment. What actually happens is that light, temperature and emotional state commonly bring about a chameleon's change in color. The chameleon will most often change between green, brown and gray, which often matches the background colors of their habitat.
What's On
- Festival of India
10/29/2009 12/15/2009 Balai Kartini & Umar Ismail Hall, Jakarta
- Imagemakers of the Future: Photography exhibition
10/10/2009 11/30/2009 Alila Ubud Desa Melinggih Kelod Payangan, Gianyar 80572, Bali - Timeless Change
11/05/2009 12/07/2009 Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Hotel Jimbaran, Bali. - Choreography of Colours; Sardono W. Kusumo's first solo painting exhibition
11/12/2009 12/12/2009 vivi yip art room Annexe Ciputra World Marketing Gallery Jalan Prof Satrio Kav 11, Casablanca