EGGS & EGG MAMAS, Biology Is Fun!
The base of life, egg art, the focal point of at least one major American holiday, and maybe - just maybe, a delicious dinner! A humorous educational article...
Nothing can quite compare to the beauty of nature. Eggs have become such a commonality that their uniqueness and worth to man sometimes gets buried beneath other oddities of nature that hold a stronger presence.
The Layers
When one thinks of eggs the picture of a chicken generally pops into their mind. Okay, it's a given that chickens are the superior layers of the animal kingdom, but other animals also pay their dues - in big ways!
Turtles
These little guys are workers when it comes to laying eggs. A nesting female must dig a hole with her hind feet, then as she lays her eggs, she must drop them into the hole. All this, with no shovel or funnel. After she makes her drop, she must cover the hole and then pack down the soil. She will depart from the nest almost immediately, neither caring for her eggs, nor nurturing her young. The turtle mama is definitely not a candidate for the 'Mother of the Year' award, and puts new meaning on the phrase, "it's not my job".
Octopus
Some octopuses lay poisonous eggs! It's an ingenious way to keep intruders at er..'bay'. Eggs are doled out in long strings that the female attaches to the roof of her den. The mother octopus excels where the mother turtle did not. She may guard her eggs for as long as 50 days! She may lay up to 150, 000 eggs! Amid the duration, she may not eat. Once they hatch, she leaves them and sadly, due to her weakened state, she may die. With 150,000 kids in the balances, who can blame her for leaving?
Sharks
In most species of sharks the young hatch from an egg enclosed in a leathery envelope. The envelope usually has long tendrils that curl around rocks and seaweed, therefore keeping the egg from drifting ashore. The empty egg cases are called sea purses and are often cast up on the beach.
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