Weekend Reading August 17, 2013

Continuing with the thoughts on exotic animals in captivity:

Costa Rica is closing it's zoos - what's going to happen to the animals?  If you know much about life in the wild or the lack of good "rescue" facilities the answer is not as nice as it sounds.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/world/americas/costa-rica-zoo-cages/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter

Captive exotic animals are not domesticated animals.  The calm, easy going Tapir is known for attacking people when they (the Tapirs) have young.  As in this case where someone had the very, very bad idea of letting a 2 year old human in an enclosure with a Tapir and her cub.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/08/11/tapir-attacks-past-present-not-future/

To change the subject - one of the baddest of the baddies - the Mantis Shrimp!  They can hit at speeds of a 22 caliber gun and see colors that we can't even imagine.  You don't want this guy in your fish tank - he can literally break the glass to  let himself out!  [True Facts videos such as this one sometimes contain NSFW language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5FEj9U-CJM&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLOHbM4GGWADc5bZgvbivvttAuWGow6h05

Some of my favorite bees are not the stereotypical yellow and black.  Great picts on Wired.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/08/beautiful-bees/