I keep carnivorous plants (GASP! really?) and those include aquatic utrics. In the aquatic utric bottles, there are ostrocods (tiny crustaceans... pics later) and snails. I've kept the jars since like forever and the snails and ostrocods have been isolated since like forever too. now... I've noticed something... The snails AND ostrocods have changed!
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=365 -normal snail... see the tentacles? see how dark and big it is?
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=362 -my weirdo snails.
notice they're longer? their bodies are shorter (the actual animal itself) and the tenticles are also shorter. (not to mention the obvious color change) and the shell is very flexible (I didn't know that and tried to pick one up with my tweezers and squished it
)
now... that makes me think of one of two things...
either the snails are like that because they are in ZERO sunlight and need to absorb more UV rays to make vitamin D or whatever and since they don't have ANY predators it doesn't matter that they have more flexible/thinner shells... OR they don't have enough minerals to make their shells... which doesn't really explain at all why their BODIES are also whiter (does it?)
any guesses?
now the ostrocods-
I can't find a pic of what they USED to look like but they were greener with dark bands of green.
now here's what they look like-
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=366
now... why the heck are they white? some that died have shells the same strenght as they used to... (and they do have predators in the jar (copepods and utrics) could it be the UV issue too? and their shells aren't as fragile because they DO have predators?
ok, you've seen the (un)natural selection one...
look at my orchid- it's not going to grow anymore (it's been like that for weeks) and besides young ones don't look like that.
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=368
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=369
notice the little cuts on the petals? I didn't do them
now some random stuff:
my potatoes- http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=371
anyone know what the heck this is? doesn't look like a maggot... but it sure acts like one....
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=373
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=365 -normal snail... see the tentacles? see how dark and big it is?
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=362 -my weirdo snails.
notice they're longer? their bodies are shorter (the actual animal itself) and the tenticles are also shorter. (not to mention the obvious color change) and the shell is very flexible (I didn't know that and tried to pick one up with my tweezers and squished it
now... that makes me think of one of two things...
either the snails are like that because they are in ZERO sunlight and need to absorb more UV rays to make vitamin D or whatever and since they don't have ANY predators it doesn't matter that they have more flexible/thinner shells... OR they don't have enough minerals to make their shells... which doesn't really explain at all why their BODIES are also whiter (does it?)
any guesses?
now the ostrocods-
I can't find a pic of what they USED to look like but they were greener with dark bands of green.
now here's what they look like-
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=366
now... why the heck are they white? some that died have shells the same strenght as they used to... (and they do have predators in the jar (copepods and utrics) could it be the UV issue too? and their shells aren't as fragile because they DO have predators?
ok, you've seen the (un)natural selection one...
look at my orchid- it's not going to grow anymore (it's been like that for weeks) and besides young ones don't look like that.
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=368
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=369
notice the little cuts on the petals? I didn't do them
now some random stuff:
my potatoes- http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=371
anyone know what the heck this is? doesn't look like a maggot... but it sure acts like one....
http://groups.msn.com/safesaf....oID=373