Sunday, November 8, 2009

Update

I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a bit of an up and down blogger. I will either blog like 3 times a week, or not at all, sorry about that...but that's how I am... Anyway, an update on my life-a. 
1. I am still pursuing my MEd and it's stressfull and freaking me out.

2. I got a new church calling- FHE committee memeber. I'm super excited for my calling! I used to be a FHE mom at SVU and I loved loved it, so I'm pretty excited to be involved with FHE again!
3. I lost 20 lbs. woot.
4. I was a bee for Halloween...again! My mom made my costume when I was in elementary school...don't ask me how it still fits, I don't know! This year was fun because my neice also dressed up as a bee and we went to my mom's 1st grade classroom Halloween party dressed up together!











5. My mom snatched this faux fur coat, that used to be my great grandma's, for me! I feel so Margot Tenenbaum in it!

6. We caught a mouse in our house! We finally caught it in my roommates bed! I can't kill things so I drove it to a field a few miles away and let it go- my roommates made fun of me for it, but I don't care- it makes me feel good to preserve one of God's creatures!

The mouse (Mortimer) is in my unicorn trashcan!
And this has nothing to do with my life- but did you know...
That most daddy long legs aren't even spiders at all!? It's true! And besides that, they're not even poisonous. It has nothing to do with mouth size and they're not the most poisonous animal ever!
They're not spiders, but they are a part of the arachnid family
There are over 6,400 species of Opiliones! (aka daddy long legs)
Another name for daddy long legs is "Harvestman" (Some suggest that the name is due to daddy long legs being most conspicuous in the fall time)
Harvestmen have no venom or silk glands
Unlike spiders, harvestmen do not suck the liquid out of their prey, they can eat chunks of food (like humans)
Harvestmen often have two shorter legs in the front that work as antannae
Most daddy long legs only have two eyes, although some have none
Harvestmen pose NO THREAT TO HUMANS
Male harvestmen have a penis, while females have ovipositors
Most species live for over a year
Many species of harvestman are omnivores and they eat small insects and plants
Some are scavengers, feeding on dead things and poo
Many male harvestmen defend the female after mating; some even defend their territory around the female
Most daddy long legs are nocturnal


"To deal with predators such as birds, mammals, amphibians, and spiders, some species glue debris onto their body, and many play dead when disturbed. Many species can detach their legs, which keep on moving to confuse predators, especially long-legged species vibrate their body ("bobbing"), probably also to confuse. This is similar to the behavior of the similar looking but unrelated cellar spider, which vibrates wildly in its web when touched. Scent glands emit substances that can deter larger predators, but are also effective against ants."

http://www.backyardnature.net/longlegs.htm
As a little girl I used to read spiders field guide at night before I went to sleep...I loved it and I wish I could find it!

1 comment:

  1. i loved this post and i am so proud of you. but, then i got to the non-spider spider part, and started feeling sick. weird. haha

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