Animal Planet: Animal Oddities

Rabbit Gets a Spa Day

David Mizejewski — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:36:00 -0400

Few things are as relaxing as a warm bath. Just ask this rabbit, who seems to thoroughly enjoy his soak in this sink-turned-hot-tub.

Video via Little Fella Likes It! Facebook Page.

See David's TV appearances and learn how to protect wildlife with National Wildlife Federation.

What Animal Made This Leaf Roll-Up? REVEALED

David Mizejewski — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:21:38 -0400

Last week I posted a photo of a very odd leaf structure that a co-worker at the National Wildlife Federation found in her yard in the Washington DC area. The cigar-shaped structure was created by an animal, and is something that most people don't regularly get to see. So I posted here to Animal Oddites to see if anyone could guess the identity of the animal that made it.

After a several days, only one person correctly guessed what made the leafy tube on my Facebook page.

The answer is, of course, a leaf cutter bee (Megachile spp.).

There are many species of leaf cutter bee, and like most of the over 4,000 bee species native to North America, they are solitary and don't form hives like the introduced honey bee. Instead, they lay their eggs in tunnels they've excavated in dead and decaying wood or inside the stems of pithy plants.

Lacking a hive of sisters to care for and protect their young, each female leaf cutter bee instead creates a protective tube made out of circular bits of leaf which they cut with their mandibles. They use the leaf-rounds to construct a multi-chambered tube, in which they lay a series eggs. They provision each egg with a ball of nectar and pollen known as a "bee loaf." Each newly hatched larva will feed upon the bee loaf, growing and eventually pupating. When metamorphosis is complete, it will emerge from the leaf tube to head out into the world to begin the process anew.

Nature really is amazing, isn't it?

Here are some great pics of leaf cutter bees in action.

Female Leaf Cutter Bee Cutting a Leaf

: bramblejungle / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

After the Cut

: bramblejungle / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Female Leaf Cutter Bee Entering Nesting Tunnel

: bartmaguire / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Leaf Cutter Bee Nesting Tube

: Rob Cruickshank / Foter.com / CC BY

Find out how to attract native bees from the National Wildlife Federation.

This Kitten Has Two Faces

David Mizejewski — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:48:12 -0400

A creature born with extra body parts is the classic animal oddity. Check out this video about a kitten that was recently born in Portland, Oregon with two faces. I've written about these so-called "Janus cats" before here, but it makes this very rare kitten no less special.

If you love cats, check out Animal Planet's Cat Guide for all things feline.

See David's TV appearances and learn how to protect wildlife with National Wildlife Federation.

What Animal Made This Leaf Roll-Up?

David Mizejewski — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:39:56 -0400

One of my colleagues at National Wildlife Federation shared a couple of photos of a very odd leaf structure she found in her yard, wondering what could have made it.

Do you know what it is and what animal made it?

I'll give you some hints: it was found in the Washington, DC area and it's not something the animal made for eating (or smoking -- I know what some of you are thinking).

Post your guesses and I'll reveal the identity of the animal later this week.

Here are the photos:

Photos by Alexis Sullivan.

UPDATE: Find out the Identity of the Mystery Creature HERE.

This Guy Wants to be a Mermaid

David Mizejewski — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:32:39 -0400

Animal Planet has been enjoying great ratings success with its second "documentary" on mermaids, Mermaids: The New Evidence. It's no surprise, given the popularity of its other series Finding Bigfoot, that viewers are hungry for shows about cryptozoology.

One guy is probably even more excited than most. Known as Merman Eric, he clearly has fully embraced the idea of mermaids and has made it his profession to make prosthetic mermaid tails that actually work underwater. (In case you were wondering, that profession is known as a "Mertailor.")

It might be an odd passion, but hey, who am I to judge? It actually looks pretty cool. Check out Merman Eric in action.