Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You (34 page)

fetus: as parasite,
95
–96

Feynman, Richard,
201
–2

Finding Nemo
(movie): anglerfish in,
84

fire ants,
179
–80,
179
n
,
183

fish.
See type of fish

flatworms,
60
–61,
85
–86

flies: as parasitoids,
88
–89

flowers,
113
–15,
201
–2

food

and benefits of nature,
97

domestication of,
126
–27

evolution and,
98

and human connection to nature,
125
–26

for humans,
125
–27

and hunger strikes,
101

natural,
104

natural death and,
122
–23

plants as,
98

sharing of,
76
–77,
78
,
199
–200

as source of energy,
101

stealing of,
135
–46

whales “storage” of,
163
n

See also type of food

Formica
ants,
137

Franken-fish,
84
–85

Freeman, Morgan,
19

frogs

bats as eating,
58
,
58
n

cuddling among,
148
–49,
148
n

mating among,
58
,
148
–51,
148
n

sneaker males among,
149
–51

tungara,
58
,
58
n

fruit, attractiveness of,
116
–17

fruit-eating fish,
116

funnel-web spiders,
171
n
,
173

Galapagos Islands: iguanas on,
151
–52

garter snakes,
55
–56

genetic engineering,
126
,
208

Georgia (Riskin’s botfly),
1
,
5
–8,
11
–12

Giardia
parasite,
65
,
65
n

global warming,
193

gluttony

of animals,
99

cannabalism and,
99

carnivores and,
118
–20

energy and,
103

of plants,
99

predators and,
117
–18,
119
–20

See also
food

golden silk spiders,
59
,
59
–60
n

gorillas,
87
,
107

Gough Island: mice on,
23
–26,
24
n
,
205
–6

Great Dying,
192

Great Oxygenation Event,
193
,
194
,
195
,
211

Great Plains toads,
148
,
149

greed

cannibalism and,
25
–26,
25
–26
n

definition of,
17

DNA and,
17
,
31
–33

and human colonization of lands,
26
–28

of humans,
26
–31

instincts and,
28
,
32

and killing of babies,
20
–22

in life-or-death situations,
28
–32

love and,
30
–31,
33

parenting and,
30
–33

Scrooge-type,
17
,
22
,
23
,
23
n
,
76

as unpunished,
23

See also
selfishness;
specific species

Hadza people,
143

harems,
146
–48

herbivores,
106
,
107
–8,
110
–11,
118

hermaphrodites,
60
–61,
84
–85

homosexuality,
37
,
51
,
95
,
210

horizontal gene transfer,
113
,
113
n

humans

and acceptance of evolution theory,
204
–5,
204
n

castration of,
42
–43

and connection to nature,
125
–26,
207
–8

evolution of,
98
,
141

as extinct,
192
,
195

and extinction of animals,
26
–31,
27
n

food of,
125
–27

greed/selfishness of,
26
–31,
64

hunting of animals by,
141
–43

impact on nature/world of,
206
–7,
211

longevity and,
42
–43

morality of,
156

nature as justification for behavior of,
51

parasites and,
79
–83,
81
n
,
96

plants eaten by,
104
,
104
n

and poisonous plants,
108

power of,
196

pride and,
203
–9

rights of,
209
,
210
,
211

role of technology in survival of,
208

running speed of,
15
–16,
16
n
,
142

sex and,
42
–43

during shipwrecks,
28
–31

short-term focus of,
207

soul of,
204

as special,
205

and stealing of food,
141
–43

Toxoplasma
parasite and,
91
–93

venom and,
166
–68,
169
,
170
,
171
,
172
–73,
174
,
183
–89

See also specific disease or topic

hummingbirds,
114

hunger strikes,
100

hunting

and humans hunting of animals,
141
–43

persistence,
142

hydrogen cyanide,
106
–8

hyenas,
48
–50,
48
n
,
49
n
,
50
,
140
,
141
,
143

hymenopterans,
181
–82,
183

ignorance as bliss,
156

iguanas: sneaker males among,
151
–52

immobilizing predatory behavior,
163
–64,
165

immune system,
80
,
85
,
86
–87,
95
–96,
123
,
173
,
185

impaling of prey,
164
–65

individuality: parasites and,
96

infidelity,
146
–48

instincts,
28
,
32
,
36
,
164
,
196
,
206
,
211

Jani, Prahlad,
99
–100,
101
,
102
,
112
,
126
,
127

jellyfish,
166
–68,
168
n
,
169
,
170
,
189

K-Pg boundary (Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary),
190
–92,
193

Kenya: spiders in,
72
n

kleptoparasitism,
135
n

krill,
121
–22

Krøyer’s deep sea anglerfish,
84
–85,
95

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
(TV program),
71

leeches,
81
–84,
81
n
,
83

lemmings,
20
–21

leopards,
143
Leptothorax
ants,
135
–37,
200

life expectancy,
35
–36,
42
–43,
67
,
127

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

light-emitting dances, ostracod’s,
152
–53

lions,
15
–16,
16
n
,
20
,
20
n
,
31
,
140
,
141
,
143
,
165

lizards,
189

lobsters: necrophilia among,
150

loggerhead shrike,
164
–65

longevity.
See
life expectancy

love

evolution and,
202

fatherly,
12
–13,
30
–31,
33
,
67
,
96
,
129
–33,
156
,
157
,
199
,
200
–201,
202
,
203
,
211

greed and,
30
–31,
33

pure,
200
,
203

of Riskin for Sam,
12
–13,
30
–31,
33
,
67
,

96,
129
–33,
156
,
157
,
199
,
200
–201,
202
,
203
,
211

romantic,
63
–64

selfishness and,
200
,
203

sex and,
63
–64

lust.
See
mating; reproduction

Madagascar: bats in,
71
n
,
86
–87,
86
n

maggots

botfly,
1
,
3
,
4
–8,
11
–12

and emerald cockroach wasps,
87
–88

on Riskin from Belize trip,
1
,
3
,
4
–8,
11
–12

malaria,
79
–80,
87

Malayan krait snakes,
185
–86

March of the Penguins
(documentary),
19
–20

masturbation,
151
–52

maternal death,
43
–44,
43
–44
n

mating

aggression and,
51
–54

alternative strategies for,
155
–56

and cannibalism,
40
,
40
n

envy and,
146
–57

female control during,
57
–60,
138

and how to mate,
36
–37

and “shot in the dark” strategy,
54
,
54
n

sneaker males and,
148
,
149
–55

stress and,
39
–40,
39
n

and traumatic insemination,
56
–57
See also
reproduction; sex;
specific animal or organism

“meat robots”

animals as,
97
–98

as Dawkins’ inspired theme,
32
n

DNA and,
32
–33,
32
n
,
67
,
96
,
98
,
112
–13,
114
,
195
,
210
,
211

parasites and,
96

reproduction and,
36

and Riskin’s love for Sam,
157

methane,
194
,
195

Mexican free-tailed bats,
176
–77

mice of Gough Island,
23
–26,
24
n
,
25
–26
n
,
205
–6

mites,
93
–95,
96
,
174
n

mongooses,
165

monkeys,
144
–45,
146

Monsters Inside Me
(TV show),
70
–71,
81
n

morality,
156

mosquitoes,
4
,
72
n
,
79
–80,
79
n

moths,
93
–95,
96

mutualism,
105
–6

natural disasters,
192
–93

natural foods,
104

natural selection,
26
,
32
n
,
93
,
204
,
205
–6

nature

benefits of,
9
–10,
11
,
97
,
207
,
208

as biological organism,
8
–9

dark side of,
9
,
10
,
11
–12,
37
–38,
80
–81,
151
,
156

evolution and,
205

as false ideal,
209
–11

food as way for humans to participate in,
126

human connection to,
125
–26,
207
–8

human impact on,
206
–7,
211

and humans getting back to their roots,
9

as justification for human behavior,
51

morality in,
156

Riskin’s love of,
178
–79,
211
Sam as Riskin’s way of connecting with,
203

typical portrayal of,
9
–10,
69
,
159
,
189

wrath of,
179
,
189
–90

necrophilia,
150
–51

Nephilengys
spiders,
41
–42

New York City skyline: different views of,
11

North America: human impact on,
27
,
27
n