Thursday, June 30, 2011

Booming boatmen

Nice little science story on the BBC today, apparently the loudest animal (for its size) on the planet is the humble water boatman. This little critter sits at the bottom of ponds and rubs it's penis against its abdomen making a noise that measures 99 decibels, equivalent to listening to a full orchestra from the front row, although clearly a lot wetter and with less impressive arrangement.


As usual in nature such overt displays are to do with reproduction and attracting a mate, although in this case selection has driven the adaptation to an extreme level. So next time you are passing a pond and hear one of these bugs (you can hear a sample of it on the BBC page) you can amaze and impress your friends by pointing out what a clever dick the little water boatman is.

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