by Alec Muffett
Things you didn’t know this morning:
The “fog-basking” beetle (Onymacris unguicularis) taps the fog for drink. Although it is ordinarily diurnal, it emerges from the sand on foggy nights and climbs to the dune crest, where water condensation is greatest. Head lowered and posterior raised in a kind of handstand, it faces into the fog-bearing wind, to let moisture condense on its back and trickle down to its mouthparts.
Handstand into the fog, to drink water.
Magic.
I’m spotting a trend in your blog postings! Been listening to Radio 4 today perchance? 🙂
@Paul oh yes – was on the way home with Buster (see upcoming post) and was wondering if anyone would spot that 🙂
Always meant to look up Almeira anyway, I’d heard about it before…
Ah, must have missed that bit of Radio 4 today – but I’ve seen this beetle guy featured on the telly once – can’t remember details, but I guess it was an Attenborough Life prog.
Really cool – literally, at least for the beetle!
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