Mice have a tuft of African origin known as the most lethal killer. Rodents that live in Ethiopia and Somalia are capable of killing large predators simply by using poisonous hairs on its back.
To find out the secret behind the magic of these mice, researchers zoology from Oxford University, England, Jonathan Kingdon, observe the behavior of this animal group in the wilds of Africa. He found 36-centimeter-sized rat is happy to chew the skin of poisonous plants Acokanthera schimperi.
The mice then applying a poisonous plant extract into the hair along their backs. "When you feel threatened, arching his back to enforce the rat hairs that had smeared poison," said Kingdon.
Hair that has a structure that is able to absorb toxins. Outermost part full of holes like a grater, while the inside has a fiber to retain fluid. According to Kingdon, hair-like structures were never found in other animals.
Predators are exposed to "injecting" the poison is generally going to have a heart attack. Some animals can survive this attack, while other animals become moribund. Dogs are one of the most predatory victims rat tuft.
"Evolution imitate something that used to do the hunters," said Kingdon. "Rat poison was borrowed from the plant as a weapon, just like the hunters take the poison from the same plant."
For thousands of years of tribal Africa Acokanthera schimperi use as a hunting poison. A little smear of plant extracts at the end of the arrows could cripple big game like elephants.
Despite knowing the secret magic of mice, researchers do not yet know why these animals do not die when chewing poisonous plants. "Should this animal was killed instantly when chewing poisonous plant. In fact not so. There is a mysterious mechanism that makes these mice survived," Kingdon said. *** [MSNBC | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3614]
Thursday, August 11, 2011
African Rat Tuft 's Secret
Mice have a tuft of African origin known as the most lethal killer. Rodents that live in Ethiopia and Somalia are capable of killing large predators simply by using poisonous hairs on its back.
To find out the secret behind the magic of these mice, researchers zoology from Oxford University, England, Jonathan Kingdon, observe the behavior of this animal group in the wilds of Africa. He found 36-centimeter-sized rat is happy to chew the skin of poisonous plants Acokanthera schimperi.
The mice then applying a poisonous plant extract into the hair along their backs. "When you feel threatened, arching his back to enforce the rat hairs that had smeared poison," said Kingdon.
Hair that has a structure that is able to absorb toxins. Outermost part full of holes like a grater, while the inside has a fiber to retain fluid. According to Kingdon, hair-like structures were never found in other animals.
Predators are exposed to "injecting" the poison is generally going to have a heart attack. Some animals can survive this attack, while other animals become moribund. Dogs are one of the most predatory victims rat tuft.
"Evolution imitate something that used to do the hunters," said Kingdon. "Rat poison was borrowed from the plant as a weapon, just like the hunters take the poison from the same plant."
For thousands of years of tribal Africa Acokanthera schimperi use as a hunting poison. A little smear of plant extracts at the end of the arrows could cripple big game like elephants.
Despite knowing the secret magic of mice, researchers do not yet know why these animals do not die when chewing poisonous plants. "Should this animal was killed instantly when chewing poisonous plant. In fact not so. There is a mysterious mechanism that makes these mice survived," Kingdon said. *** [MSNBC | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3614]
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