Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You (35 page)

“nuptial gifts”: of spiders,
40
,
40
n
,
138

nursery web spiders,
40
n

obesity,
69

orangutans,
118
,
121

ostracods,
152
,
211

owls, snowy,
20
–21

oxygen,
102
,
193
–95,
194
n
,
195
n

P-Tr boundary (Permo-Triassic boundary),
192
,
193

pallid bats,
175
–78,
211

panda bears,
78

parasites

benefits of,
90
–91

as changing behavior of hosts,
90
–93

definition of,
71
–72,
83

disease and,
79
–80,
86
–87

DNA and,
90
–91,
95
–96

evolution and,
89

fetus as,
95
–96

as healthy,
70

importance of,
89
–91,
94
–95

individuality and,
96

and kleptoparasitism,
135
n

meat robots and,
96

parasitoids and,
88
–89

prevalence of,
78
–79

Riskin’s interest in,
70
–71

as taking care of hosts,
93
–95

theft and,
135
n

TV program about,
70
–71,
81
n

See also type of parasite

parasitism: of ants,
135
–37

parasitoids,
88
–89

parenting,
30
–33,
67
,
134
,
156
,
157

penguins,
18
–20,
18
–19
n
,
20
n
,
78
,
150

penis fencing,
61

persistence hunting,
142

photosynthesis,
101
–3,
101
n
,
103
–4
n
,
112
,
113
,
193

pine trees,
113

pintail ducks,
51
–54,
52
n
,
55
–56

pinworms,
81

plants

as algae,
101

communication among,
110
–11

defense mechanisms of,
104
–5

disperal of seeds of,
115
–16

evolution of,
115
,
117

as food,
98
,
104
,
104
n

gluttony of,
99

movement of,
115
–16

mutualism and,
105
–6

photosynthesis and,
101
–2,
101
n

as poisonous,
106
–10

selfishness of,
98
,
114
,
115

sex and,
113
–15

See also flowers; type of plant

Plasmodium
parasite,
79
–80

Platnik, Norman,
171
n

platypuses,
189

“playing” with prey,
164

poison,
106
–10,
166

poisonous gases,
193
–94

pollination: of flowers,
113
–15

Polyergus
ants,
137

Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish,
168
,
168
n

predators,
117
–18,
119
–20,
135
–43,
152
.
See also specific predator

pregnancy:
Toxoplasma
parasite and,
92

pride,
203
–9

pterosaurs,
190
,
195

quisqualic acid,
108
–9

rabbits,
173

rape,
37
,
51
–53,
209

rare mammals: leeches role in conservation of,
83
–84

Ratcliffe, John,
78
n

rats:
Toxoplasma
parasite and,
90
–91,
93
,
96

rattlesnakes,
186
–88,
186
n
,
188
n

recluse spiders,
171
n

reproduction

by cloning,
60
–63,
60
n

and diversity of offspring,
62
–63

DNA and,
35
–67

homosexuality and,
37

and how to mate,
36
–37

importance of,
36

longevity and,
35
–36,
67

sacrifices made for sake of,
37

survival and,
44

and traumatic insemination,
56
–57

See also
childbirth; mating; rape; sex

reptiles

flying,
190

See also specific type of reptile

Rhinella
toads,
150
–51

rhinoceroses,
107
,
196
,
196
n

Riskin, Claire,
130
,
130
n
,
156

Riskin, Dan

and appreciation for friends,
202
–3

botfly experience of,
1
,
3
–8,
5
n
,
11
–12,
13
,
203
,
207

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

future plans for,
211

life-changing experience of,
77

as programmed machine,
32
–33

and Sam as Riskin’s way of connecting

with nature,
203

as vegetarian,
122
,
125

See also specific topic

Riskin, mother,
176
–78

Riskin, Sam

birth of,
12
,
44
–45,
65
–66,
129
–34,
130
n
,
156

development of,
134

DNA of,
33
,
65
–67,
96
,
130
n

food for,
127

future plans for,
211

as meat robot,
33

as parasitic fetus,
95
,
96

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

as Riskin’s way of connecting with nature,
203

Riskin, Shelby

future plans of,
211

Giardia
parasite and,
65
,
65
n

parenting and,
134

professional career of,
64
–65,
64
n

Riskin’s relationship with,
64
–65,
67
,
179
,
211

running ability of,
29
n

and Sam as parasitic fetus,
95
,
96

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

at Texas campsite,
176
–79

roundworms,
80
–81

running

gender differences and,
28
–29
n

and running speed of humans,
15
–16,
16
n
,
142

sac-winged bats,
75
,
146
–48,
207

sacrifices,
37
,
199
–201

sagebrush plants,
110

salamanders,
60
,
60
n
,
154
–55

salting behavior,
147
,
207

schistosome/schistosomiasis,
85
–87,
96

Schmidt, Justin,
181
–83,
182
n

Schmidt Pain Index,
182
–83,
182
n

science

importance of supporting,
208

and Riskin’s appreciation for friends,
202
–3

scorpions,
174
–79,
174
n
,
175
–78,
189

sea slugs

blue dragon/
Glaucus,
168–69

emerald,
111
–13,
112
n
,
168
,
211

Sea World (Orlando, Florida),
159
–62

seabirds: and mice of Gough Island,
23
–26,
24
n

The Selfish Gene
(Dawkins),
32
,
32
n

selfishness

of ants,
105

DNA and,
17
,
196
,
210

evolution and,
164

and humans as fundamentally selfish,
64
,
211

love and,
13
,
200
,
203

and nature as biological organism,
8
–9

of plants,
98
,
114
,
115

and short-term focus of humans,
207

See also greed

seven deadly sins,
13

See also specific sin

sex

antechinus and,
38
–40

envy and,
146
–48

evolution of,
62
,
66

humans and,
42
–43

longevity and,
42
–43

love and,
63
–64

plants and,
113
–15

popularity of,
62
–63

See also
mating; reproduction

Shah, Sudhir,
99
–100

sharks,
22
,
165

sheep,
17
–18,
36
,
36
n
,
37
,
67
,
109
,
109
n

shipwrecks,
28
–31

short-tailed fruit bats,
75
–76

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

shrews,
120
,
189

shrikes,
164
–65

siblings: as eating siblings,
20
–22

single-cell organisms: extinction and,
193

sloth,
69
–96.
See also
parasites

slow lorises,
118
,
121
–22

snails,
169
–70,
169
n
,
189

snakes,
55
–56,
174
,
183
–89,
188
n

sneaker males,
148
,
149
–55

social justice,
210

songbirds,
31

South American armed spiders,
171
n

South Pacific Islands: human impact on,
27
–28

spiders

Arachnida class and,
174
n

blood-drinking,
72
n

cannibalism among,
40
,
40
n
,
41
–42

in Kenya,
72
n

mating among,
40
–42,
40
n
,
59
,
59
–60
n
,
138

mosquitos and,
72
n

number of species of,
170
–71,
171
n

“nuptial gifts” of,
40
,
40
n
,
138

as thieves,
137
–41

vegetarian,
139
–40

venom of,
170
–73,
171
n
,
189

See also specific species

squids,
54
,
54
n
squirrels,
78

stingrays,
189

stings,
179
–83,
182
n

stress,
39
–40,
39
n
,
133

sugars,
102
–3,
106
,
107
,
111
,
112
,
115
–16,
194

sun,
99
–100,
101
–3,
101
n
,
103
–4
n
,
112
,
113

survival

DNA and,
12
–13

energy as important to,
100

reproduction and,
44

technology as important to,
208

theft as threat to,
140

water and,
100
,
100
n

“swimmer’s itch,”
87

technology,
208

testosterone,
67

Texas campsite: bats at,
176
–79,
211

theft: envy and,
135
–46,
135
n

ticks,
174
n

Tilikum (whale),
160
–61,
162
,
163
–64