back from Suriname

[Steven]

Awsome !!! :clap:
very interesting and diverse field-trip pictures.

and yep,...
most probarly a Scolopendra viridicornis.
where did ya found it ? (forest, urban area,... ?)


and did ya had a few "Parbo bier" ?
Parbo biri, dat n'a biri

 

[Tescos]

Damm nice pics guys. That sloth is minters.
all the best
Chris

 

[tarcan]

Steven,

The scolo was in a forested area

We did not drink any Parbo as Amanda and I do not drink alcohol (yep, we are boring like that! LOL)... but there was plenty around I can tell you that! We brought a few bottles home for our family who unlike us appreciate beer!

Martin

 

[tarcan]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments, we really had a good time down there!

 

[ahas]

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[GoTerps]

Thanks for sharing Martin! Great pics!

Eric

 

[beetleman]

:clap: yes, very awesome pics! thanks for sharing

 

[The Red Queen]

Just a quick note about the sloth...

When we found him, he had obviously just finished crossing the road and was trying to make his way through some thick bushes to get to the trees beyond. Our guide was afraid that if someone saw him from the road that they would shot him and eat him, so after we got our pictures he picked up the little sloth and carried him over to the trees... and let me tell you, when they say "as slow as a sloth", they are not kidding! The little guy did not even put up a fight when he was picked up and carried off!

 

[Steven]

We did not drink any Parbo as Amanda and I do not drink alcohol (yep, we are boring like that! LOL)...

people who do drink alcohol also get boring after a few

love the viridicornis !!! :}

 

[DrAce]

When we found him, he had obviously just finished crossing the road and was trying to make his way through some thick bushes to get to the trees beyond. Our guide was afraid that if someone saw him from the road that they would shot him and eat him, so after we got our pictures he picked up the little sloth and carried him over to the trees... and let me tell you, when they say "as slow as a sloth", they are not kidding! The little guy did not even put up a fight when he was picked up and carried off!

It looked like a great trip.

Describe the sloth's feet. How many toes/claws did it have?

 

[tarcan]

Well, not sure really about the details of the feet... this does not help much...

 

[tarcan]

I will be honest, we were so worried that a local would pass by and attempt to kill the poor thing that we hurried up a couple of pictures and my guide took the animal and ran into the woods to take it to a tree. So I did not take time to observe much details

 

[DrAce]

Hmm... first HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARCAN!

Second, I am not sure if it's a three toed or 2 toed sloth. I'm thinking two, because I can only see one in the photo (meaning that there is either 2 hidden, or one, and it's easier to hide one).

Three toed sloths are a really interesting story. They have nine cervical vertebra - and they are the only mammal to have that number. For reasons which we do not understand, the number of cervical vertebra in mammals is restricted - humans, girraffes and mice have seven - and seven only.

It doesn't matter if your neck is 3 meters long, or 3 millimeters, you have seven vertebra. BUT some people (~1%) are born with six, and here's where it gets interesting. Those people are born sick, and they are lucky to be born at all. Over 50% of all developing babies which are spontaneously lost in utero, have six cervical vertebra.

And no-one knows why yet!

Except, the sloth. He's got 9, and there's no reason for that either.

(it's the only reason I asked).

If he was a two toed sloth, he has six cervical vertebra, and that's also different from all other mammals (the manatee is the only other mammal with six).

 

[The Red Queen]

I found another picture that shows the toes... its 3!

 

[DrAce]

I found another picture that shows the toes... its 3!

And he therefore has 9 cervical vertebra... two more than any other mammal.

 

[The Red Queen]

And he therefore has 9 cervical vertebra... two more than any other mammal.

And when I become a contestant on Jeopardy and Alex says "This is the only mammal with 9 cervical vertebrae" I am going to kick ass!

 

[DrAce]

And when I become a contestant on Jeopardy and Alex says "This is the only mammal with 9 cervical vertebrae" I am going to kick ass!

Damned straight. Unless he asks "This is the only mammal with 6 cervical vertebrae"... then you'll be stuck with two-toed sloth and manatee.

But good-lord you'll sound smart.

 

[eman]

Very cool shots! Thanks for sharing!

Cheers,


Emmanuel

 

[lucanidae]

Wow! I think that mygal with the hymenopteran parasite on its abdomen is the coolest!


In case anyone was looking for an explanation of the cervical vertebrae and the answer to why most mammals are constrained to seven:

http://wwworm.biology.uh.edu/evodevo/lecture11/galis99.pdf

 

[DrAce]

In case anyone was looking for an explanation of the cervical vertebrae and the answer to why most mammals are constrained to seven:

http://wwworm.biology.uh.edu/evodevo/lecture11/galis99.pdf

Cool paper. I had not seen it, but it's an interesting hypothesis.

I have a few problems with it. HOX genes are all over the place. Surely there is a similar mechanism WRT thorasic vertebra, or lumbar vertebra. Why are they not associated with childhood cancer?

And why can a sloth get away with it (or a manatee, for that matter)?

It's still, as far as I know, an unknown problem. Although there's quite a bit of work to be done on it. Why restrictions in mammals? I don't hold that "childhood cancer is only really important in mammals" argument...