SECOND BIRTHDAY Special Show: 'Strider-Man'

Today it is the second birthday of this blog, Natural Scientific and Medical Wonders! Today a wonder insect appears here: ‘Water Strider.’ It walks on the top of water! It gets the help of surface tension for this feat. Its feet are specially adapted for it with nano level structures. It is said that it makes for itself air cushions to stay afloat. I have seen these water striders fly towards fluorescent lamps, hop on the grounds and take to floating if they come across a pool of water. The point of their foot contact with water shows a dimple on the water surface. They are also called by other names such as Water bugs, Water skaters and Water scooters! Aptly I have likened (linked) this insect with Siddhars and the Basilisk lizard in one of the previous posts.

The Lizard with Miraculous Feat

The Hindu puranas inform about the divine incredible powers of Holy Sages, Rishis and Siddhars – like walking on the water or floating on water etc. I know an insect that swims or surfs (or rests) on water surface with its six legs – the ‘Water Strider’! Have you heard of a lizard doing this feat? Yes, it is the Basilisk Lizard. When a predator chases, it runs on water with its two legs for about fifteen meters and escape! It has specially modified hind legs as that of a frog – webbed feet. Running with four limbs is tiresome, and with two legs, as we human do, it is quicker and easier, it seems – that too on water surface! A wonder lizard, indeed!