Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You (33 page)

evolution of,
115

as food,
98

as helping plants move,
115
–16

humans as hunting,
141
–43

as lacking soul,
204

largest,
121

photosynthesis and,
101
–2

pollination of plants by,
113
–15

suffering of,
118
,
121
,
122
,
125

theft among,
135
–41,
135
n

See also specific animal

antechinus,
38
–40,
39
n

antivenins,
173
,
173
n
,
189

ants

bites/stings of,
179
–83,
189

and envy,
135
–37

as hymenopterans,
181
–82

mutualism and,
105
–6

number of species of,
180
,
180
n

parasitism of,
135
–37

sacrifices of,
200

selfishness of,
105

as thieves,
135
–37

tucandeira
ritual with,
181
,
181
n

See also species of ant

aphids,
113

Argyrodes
spiders,
137
–39

Australia: human impact on,
26
–27

Australian box jellyfish,
167

babies: killing of,
20
–22,
20
n

bacteria: energy for,
103
–4
n

Bagheera kiplingi
spiders,
139
–40,
211

Balmorhea State Park (Texas),
177

bananas,
117

bats

in Belize,
1
–3,
2
n

in Bracken Cave (Texas),
123
–24

in Costa Rica,
71
–78,
71
n

echolocation calls of,
76
,
94
,
176

evolution of,
71
n

frog-eating,
58
,
58
n

in Madagascar,
71
n
,
86
–87,
86
n

mating of,
75
,
146

and moths and mite parasites,
94
,
96

number of species of,
72

as parasites,
71
–78

pollination of flowers by,
114
–15

salting by,
147
,
207

satellite male,
146
–48

scorpion-eating,
175
–78

as sharing with other bats,
76
–77,
78
,
199
–201

with suction cups,
71
n

at Texas campsite,
176
–78

See also specific species of bat

“beaver fever,”
65
,
65
n

beavers,
70

bedbugs: mating among,
56
–57

bees,
70
,
114
,
174
,
182
,
183
,
189

beetles,
108
–9,
123
,
124
,
189

Belize

bat study in,
1
–3,
2
n
,
3
–8,
11
–12,
125

botflies in,
1
,
3
–8,
11
–12,
125

Riskin’s trips to,
1
–3,
2
n
,
3
–8,
11
–12,
125
,
175

scorpions in,
175

bilharzia/schistosomiasis,
86
–87

biodiversity,
207
,
210

birds

bats and,
72

bright-colored,
59

as descendants of dinosaurs,
190

of paradise,
59
n

parasites and,
70
,
78

pollination of flowers by,
114

schistosomiasis among,
87

See also specific species

black widow spiders,
40
n
,
171
n

blue dragon sea slugs,
168
–69

blue whales,
121
–22

botflies,
1
,
3
–8,
5
n
,
11
–12,
13
,
203
,
207

bowerbirds,
36
,
36
n
,
37
,
67

Bracken Cave (Texas): bats in,
123
–24

breeding.
See
genetic engineering

Bulgaria
(ship): sinking of,
29

bullet ants,
180
,
182
–83

campsite, Texas: bats at,
176
–79,
211

cannibalism,
25
–26,
25
–26
n
,
40
,
40
n
,
41
–42,
99

carnivores,
118
–20,
125
.
See also
predators; specific species

Carter, Gerry,
200
–201,
202
,
203

cassava,
108

castration,
41
–43

caterpillars,
88
–89,
111

Catholic Church: list of evils of,
13

cats:
Toxoplasma
parasite and,
90
–93,
96

centipedes,
189

Centropogon nigricans
plants,
114
–15

cheetahs,
140
,
141

Chelyabinsk meteor,
191

childbirth

aggression and,
49
–50

by C-section,
129
–33

DNA and,
133

hyenas and,
48
–50,
48
n
,
49
n

maternal deaths from,
43
–45,
43
n
,
46
,
46
n

medicalized,
45
–51,
210

natural,
37
,
45
–51,
209
–10

and Sam’s birth,
12
,
44
–45,
65
–66,
129
–34,
130
n

stillborns at,
44
n

and stress,
133

and where to have baby,
47

chlorophyll,
102

climate change.
See
environment

cloning,
60
–63,
60
n

cobras,
184

cockroaches: wasps and,
87
–88

communication: among plants,
110
–11

cone snails,
169
–70,
169
n
,
189

convergent evolution,
71
n

copulation, forced,
51
–56,
57

corn lily,
109

corpses

decomposition of,
122
–24,
123
n

See also
cannibalism

Costa Concordia
shipwreck,
29

Costa Rica: Riskin’s bat trip to,
71
–78,
71
n
,
76
n

cows: vampire bats and,
72
,
72
–73
n

crocodiles,
165

cross-dressing: sneaker males as,
154
–55,
154
n

Curimagua
spiders,
138
–39

cuttlefish,
153
–54

cyclopamine,
109
–10

death

and greed in life-or-death situations,
28
–32

maternal,
43
–45,
43
–44
n
,
46
,
46
n

natural,
122
–23

and scorpions as playing dead,
175

by venomous snakes,
184

See also
corpses

Desmodus rotundus
bats,
77
–78

Dinoponera gigantea
ants,
183

dinosaurs,
190
,
192
,
193

Diplura
spiders,
139

disappointment: envy compared with,
144
–45

disease

parasites and,
79
–80,
86
–87

See also specific disease

DNA

childbirth and,
133

copulation and,
53

extinction and,
196
–97

greed and,
17
,
30
–33

and horizontal gene transfer,
113
,
113
n

improvements in,
63
,
90
–91

“meat robot” and,
32
–33,
32
n
,
67
,
96
,
98
,
112
–13,
114
,
195
,
210
,
211

and nature as biological organism,
8
–9

parasites and,
90
–91,
95
–96

parenting and,
30
–33,
67

reproduction and,
35
–67

and Riskin’s love for Sam,
12
–13,
30
–31,
33
,
67
,
96
,
129
–33,
156
,
157
,
199
,
200
–201,
202
,
203
,
211

sacrifices and,
200

of Sam,
33
,
65
–67,
96

selfishness and,
17
,
196
,
210

as short-term program,
196
,
197

survival and,
12
–13

Toxoplasma
parasite and,
93

See also specific species

Dobzhansky, Theodosius,
204
n

doctors

botfly treatment by,
6
–8,
11
–12

reattachment of skin by,
82
–83

and treatment for Malayan krait snake bites,
185
–86

dodo birds,
27
–28

dogs,
140
–41,
145
,
146

dolphins,
54

doula,
129
,
129
n
,
131

drag, dressing in,
154
–55

“dry bites,”
188
,
188
n

ducks,
51
–54,
52
n
,
55
–56,
150

eagles,
21
–22,
165

echolocation calls,
76
,
94
,
176

Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve (Texas),
177

elephantiasis,
80

elephants,
120

emerald sea slugs,
111
–13,
112
n
,
168
,
211

The Empire Strikes Back
(movie): AT-AT walkers in,
31
–32

energy,
8
–9,
99
–103,
101
n
,
103
–4
n
,
107
,
119
,
124
,
193
–95

environment,
27
n
,
192
–93,
206
–7

envy

benefits of,
145
–46

definition of,
135

disappointment compared with,
144
–45

mating/sex and,
146
–57

as motivator,
135

parenting and,
134
,
157

and Sam’s birth,
129
–34

sneaker males and,
148
,
149
–55

theft and,
135
–46,
135
n

Epimyrma
ants,
136
–37

Evarcha culicivora
spiders,
72
n

evils: Catholic Church list of,
13

evolution

of animals,
115

convergent,
71
n

extinction and,
192
,
193
,
195
n
,
207

food and,
98

human acceptance of theory of,
204
–5,
204
n

of humans,
98
,
141

instincts and,
206

love and,
202

nature/“natural” and,
205

as never-ending,
207

parasites and,
89

parenting and,
157

of plants,
115
,
117

and Riskin’s love for Sam,
202

selfishness and,
164

of sex,
62
,
66

See also specific species

extinction,
26
–28,
26
n
,
27
n
,
102
,
190
–97,
194
n
,
195
n
,
207

feces: launching of,
88
–89

Fenton, Brock,
76
n