Speaking of lizards, they always give people the feeling of living in deserts and volcanic craters. In fact, many lizards live by the water. If the air is too dry, the lizards will Then you can’t stand it anymore. Recently, scientists photographed a strange lizard that can run on the water. Let’s get acquainted with it.
A lizard running on the water
1. Basilisk lizard sprinting on the water
Recently, the cameraman captured the image at a high speed of 2000 frames/second, showing a brown basilisk lizard running quickly on a lake in Belize. Other impressions show that one species of gecko is so small that it does not break the tension of the water surface and can safely walk through a small puddle.
The basilisk lizard is often called the "Jesus Lizard" for a certain reason because it can float on water. Many insects have similar abilities, but they are generally as light as swallows and will not break the balance of water surface tension. Basilisk lizards often live along rivers in tropical rainforests and feed mainly on small insects. Basilisk lizards have to bask in the sun every day to maintain their body temperature, which makes them very easy to be caught. For example, huge birds will attack from the air, and carnivores will launch surprise attacks from the mainland. Therefore, the basilisk lizard has developed a special escape ability. When damaged, a basilisk will jump into the water and run away from the surface.
By slow-motion playback of the image data obtained from high-speed photography, people have revealed the mystery of the basilisk lizard "floating on the water". Producer Simon said: "Because they run very fast, bubbles can be generated when their claws reach the surface of the water. Before the bubbles burst, the basilisk lizard was pushed forward by the bubbles and ran away." Simon participated in the lizard floating on the water. Impression photography and creation services. "They can only avoid falling into the water by running at high speed. If their speed is slower, their bodies will not remain upright and they will fall into the water, and then they will have to swim." Simon and his colleagues We are isolating HongduThe footage of the basilisk lizard running quickly on the lake was filmed in the Redai rainforest 60 kilometers away from the city of Rasdus, and this proved to be a very complicated task. "When basilisk lizards escape, 80% of the time they will swim to escape instead of running quickly on the water. So being able to capture the image of a basilisk lizard running on the water is very difficult in itself."< /p>
Other basilisk lizards have body structures that allow them to run on water. The basilisk lizard has long toes and scales covering the soles of its feet. These are all good for generating angry bubbles, and the basilisk lizard can step on the bubbles and run on the water. Scientists have previously studied and found that basilisk lizards can generate large lateral forces when running on the water, which can keep their bodies upright. Slow motion playback at 1/80 speed reveals the true secret. Simon said: "When the water is excited, it produces this mysterious splash, like pebbles falling into the water. However, the basilisk lizards have not been seen on camera because they are so fast."
Two, dwarf geckos wandering on the water
The lizard that wanders on the water
Another kind of lizard, a powerful creature called the dwarf gecko faces a completely different situation . Because it is very small, only 2 to 4 centimeters long from head to toe, this species that lives in Brazil is often disturbed by rain, and even small puddles are enough to drown it. Therefore, this kind of dwarf gecko has evolved the ability to waterproof its skin, which also allows them to walk on the water when they encounter puddles. The filming team led by Simon encountered one of the smallest animals in the world on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
Simon said: "Dwarf geckos do not escape through the water. For them, a small puddle is as good as a vast lake. . Because they are very small, they can float on the water and they will not break the surface tension of the water. To be honest, I have never seen anything like this before. ”
Dwarf geckos have waterproof skin, which seems to be common in raincoats. Simon said that scientists have come up with a hypothesis because the dwarf gecko is ten times taller.Being so small, they must have evolved the ability to swim on water to prevent them from being drowned when it rains.
3. Some small animals that know how to float on water
1. Diving beetle "submarine"
In small puddles in the woods, we can often find a beetle called the dragon louse, which is also called the dragon louse. Called a diving beetle. Dragon lice often wander on the water surface, but once they encounter an alarmed snake, they will immediately dive underwater. They are very gluttonous, and as long as there is food, they will eat until they are full. After it stays in the water for more than 1 hour, a gas connection bubble will be formed at the tail to carry out underwater gas connection. There is an air storage bag under the elytra of the dragon louse. This air storage bag has the function of "physical gills". When the dragon louse swims left and right in the water, it also plays a positioning role. When the dragon louse stops on the water, its forewings vibrate gently to eliminate the exhaust gas containing carbon dioxide in the body, and then use the interruption pressure of the airbag to absorb fresh air from the air. The oxygen content in the air is many times greater than that in water, so aquatic insects have learned various ways to absorb air during their long evolutionary process. Dragon lice rely on the fresh air contained in them to survive by diving into the water. When the oxygen in the air bag is used up, swim out of the water to eliminate the exhaust gas again and inhale fresh air.
2. Water Spider: The Betrayer in the Spider World
Water Spider is also called Silver Spiders are the only rebels of the spider species - living in the world of water. When they dive into the water, many air bubbles will be attached to the dense waterproof fluff all over their bodies, as if they were put into an air-sealed sleeve. This strange aura turns the water spider into a "mercury ball", shining brightly. Occasionally, they will use the end of their abdomen to poke out of the water and hold up a large bubble to fly wildly across the market.
Water spiders are good at spinning silk and making webs among aquatic plants. Because there are air bubbles stored under the net, the originally unfolded spider web becomes bell-shaped, like a small caisson. They camp in the caisson, and the female spider also lays eggs and hatches in it. The bubble group possessed by the water spider is not only an oxygen storage device, but also an oxygen generator that can continuously absorb oxygen from the surrounding water. This is what people call the "physical lung" oxygen supply device. During the breathing process of water spiders, the oxygen concentration in the negative bubbles gradually decreases. Once the oxygen content is lower than 16%, the oxygen dissolved in the water will be compensated into the bubbles on its own. Water spiders are sensitive to changes in the environment. At present, due to land desertification and water pollution, it is difficult to find them. Therefore, water spiders are also an ecological status informant species.
3. Mallard’s high-end “down jacket”
We all know that ducks can swim, but do you know this? Why? First, let’s understand the structure of feathers: Feathers are composed of rachis and petals. There are many tiny filamentous barbules on the petals, and there are many smaller barbules on the barbules for docking. The feathers have a net-like structure, and the feather shafts, barbules, and barbules are all similar to hollow structures. Therefore, the density of the feathers is much lighter than that of water, coupled with the delicate arrangement of feathers. And the special hydrophobic film on the surface of the feathers prevents the duck's feathers from being soaked and penetrated by water. Secondly, there is a gland in the tail of the duck that can absorb oil. Therefore, the ducks often spend a long time resting on the shore. When combing their feathers, they rub the oil on their buttocks with their beaks and then smear it all over their bodies. This is to spread the oil on their feathers so that their feathers will not get wet when exposed to water. All swimming birds have this ability. Oh!
Children who have lived by the water since childhood are familiar with the nature of water. Animals living by the water have also evolved to be familiar with the nature of water. Many animals have evolved around the water. Being able to get along with water, from this perspective, there is nothing particularly strange about the creatures that can live on the water.
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