Snakes Alive

 

I read in the papers that there is a real possibility that we might have snakes in our homes. Apparently with colder weathers in some countries snakes are entering houses and hiding in the loft or attic by climbing up drain pipes or even hiding in wall partitions or in cellars. They could be hiding behind furniture or anywhere warm; like behind the fridge.

So beware around the house and be on the look-put for anything out of the ordinary. Be careful when picking up clothes left lying on the bed, or a chair or on the floor; as a snake could be curled up amongst the clothes to keep warm. Snakes also like humid conditions for their skin; so be in the look-out in the bathroom, in the laundry basket, or hanging clothes like dressing gowns; you might put one on and find you're sharing it with a python.

A man found a snake in his car engine. It seems the snake crawled into the car from underneath when the car was parked and the engine still warm. When the owner switched on the engine the next morning there was an odd sound. When he opened the bonnet he found the snake had been caught in the cooling fan and had been killed.

With colder weather in some countries, many creatures are finding new living habitat in homes and offices. Especially various spiders, scorpions, snakes and insects.

As for bats ... they may be out and about at night, but where are they the rest of the time? In the wild they live mainly in caves, but if there isn't one near your house where do you think they hide? Try your loft, or your cellar, or the garage, or any other out-building. They can enter your house from any small gap under the roof tiles between the roof and the wall. They are as small as a mouse or rat and can squeeze themselves in. If you go up in the loft or attic to search for something you may well disturb a whole flock of them. If they can't all get out at once, like a crowd from a supermarket, they'll just fly around "blindly" and most likely get entangled in your hair. That's one advantage of being bald.

Have a Happy Halloween ... statistically speaking you are always nearer to a snake, scorpion, bat or rat than you think. "It's behind you!!!!"  

Potatoes Have Eyes

 

Potatoes have eyes, but they cannot see. Those little white sprouts on the potato that look like roots are called eyes, and can be used to plant a new potato.

Bats have eyes but they have poor vision. This is because they are nocturnal and they live in caves, (like Batman). So their eyes have adapted to the darkness of the cave. If they were to go out at night the brightness of the moon would be like a flash from a camera to them. They'd need sunglasses, or moonglasses! These are expensive to make for bats and they'd fall off and break as they hung upside down from trees.

So over the years the bats have adapted through evolution and their eyes are suitable to see when in the caves but they use their ears, (sound/sonar) for guidance when out flying at night.

Deep under the sea it is very dark. So how do fish see and not bump into each other? Glasses are of no use to them because they'd get wet and you can't see through wet lenses.

Like bats, their eyes have evolved to detect a lower number of photons (bits of light) so they see the darkness as light. If you were to lift a fish from deep down up to the surface the chances are it will be in agony and go blind because of the light up here on the surface. More photons per square metre than deep down in the sea. So, unlike bats, these fishes have decided to stay at the bottom of the sea and not come up to the surface or hang upside down from trees.

And whilst we're talking about water; did you know that humans cannot feel wet? We can't feel the sensation wet. If you blindfold someone and give him two sets of clothing, one wet/damp and one cold he could not tell the difference by touch. (Not wringing or squeezing - just touching). The human skin can feel cold and hot. Not wet. Admittedly if you put your hand in a bowl of water you'll feel it - but this is feeling the existence of water not feeling the wetness. And if someone's asleep and you put his hand in a bowl of water he'll feel wet - but that's different.

And finally ... we've talked about darkness here - in caves as well as deep in the bottom of the sea. But in reality, there is no such thing as darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. Remember that next time you stub your toe against something in the dark; or you fall over on the way home at night from the pub.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

NOTE: If there is anything else scientific, or religious, you wish me to explore and write about here then please let me know.

Howling at the moon

 

Have you ever howled at the moon? Gone out in a field, or out in the open on a full moon night and howled like a wolf or a dog? 

This young lady I met at a business conference said she drives in the suburbs to a field and howls at the moon with other people as a group. She invited me to go with her once, and tempted as I was, I declined on account of my being busy with my hobby and pastime of being a coward.

She explained that about a dozen people meet up regularly when it's a full moon and they howl at it. One of them starts first and makes wolf noises then all the others join in. 

I asked her why they go out in a field and do that. She said because if they did it in town people would complain.

She also added that some of her friends are FOBs; including her. I raised my eyebrows and she smiled at my ignorance and said "Friends of Bats".

It is a preservation and protection society caring for bats; which is a good thing I suppose. 

She told me that years ago we had vampire bats in the UK.

"Here in the UK?" I asked, "I thought vampire bats lived in central and South America not in the UK."

She explained that the UK was full of vampire bats which came out at night and fed off cattle, sheep and horses. Sometimes they fed off blackcurrants and blackberries juice thinking it was blood. Then gradually they turned vegetarians and became fruit bats. 

Now in the UK we only have fruit bats and bats that eat insects.

I nodded politely.

She asked me how long I'd been a vegetarian. I told her I wasn't. She looked me up and down once or twice and walked away.

That's when I realised I was at the wrong Conference. No wonder most people, except me, were in Halloween costumes. She was wearing a pumpkin outfit and I did not realise I was in the wrong place.