Investigate this Toad Mystery!

I was wondering the other day at morning: what creature’s scat (animal dropping) could it be! It was black, shiny, smooth and of light weight in the shape of a capsule, lying on the garden. Could it be that of a snake or a bandicoot? I saw the scats each morning and was bewildered.

One day I crushed a scat into pieces with a stick: I found the shiny black heads of ants of various sizes in a brownish matrix! I was astonished. Could it be that of a toad?

Connecting the places where the trails of scats were found led me to the junk room where the toads usually lurk at daytime. Yes, those scats were those of Toads only (Bufo fowleri, ‘Theaurai’ in Tamil). Here in Tamil Nadu, there is a belief that if one kills a toad the person will be contracting the disease, Leprosy! I had tried to kill these toads: but I am often cheated by them. After an hour of beating and ‘killing,’ when I turn up to see the toad’s body it would have disappeared! Toads cannot be killed: they escape by playing dead. But they have to be beaten to pieces for that – as they attract snakes into the garden. Toads have been described in Puranic Tamil songs that they are seen even inside stones! They easily burrow into the sand and aestivate – to escape the unbearable hot and dry summer; their extra moist skin saves them from being dried up. They emerge out of the sand as soon as the monsoon starts.
This wonder toad camouflages to merge with the surrounding – with its brownish skin coloration!

Maize that amazed me!

At school we are taught and shown that fruits are formed out of flowers after pollination. We also see it happen in reality in the Nature. I was wondering about a plant that flowered at its top but bore no fruit out of those flowers! After some weeks a fruit body appeared growing larger and larger from its side lower down! I found this wonder in Sweet Corn (Zea mays var.rugosa or ‘Makka chollam’ in Tamil). Actually the punch of flowers on the tip of the stem is the male inflorescence (tassel) and that on the side (‘the fruit body’) is the female inflorescence (ears)! The corn matures out from this female inflorescence.

In yester years, this plant, the sweet corn was not seen cultivated here in South India. But now it is seen grown in every place through modern agricultural practices. It is very much adaptive to varying temperatures and grows fast to give a high yield – making itself a wonder plant!

Lizards use tactics!

The Common house lizard (Gecko) uses tactics to get its prey:

At dusk I close the glass doors of windows to prevent the entry of mosquitoes into the house. If any female mosquito present inside the house tries to get out (for mating with the male mosquito outdoors – and returning back inside for human blood!), it dashes with the glass pane. At this time the lizard that is waiting on there catches it and devours! At times lizards go out before the door is shut and waits on the outer surface of the windows. As I switch on the fluorescent light source (- UV rays emitting) inside the house, the insects present outdoors are attracted by the light and dash with the glass pane. Now the lizards feast upon them! Similarly, just before dawn they get mosquitoes that escape out!

These wonder lizards have keen observation, and are cleverer in using tactics!

Fixing this Swine Flu infection!

Man’s association with animals and birds has also affected his health. Such diseases are called Zoonotic diseases. But there are also other diseases of animals that do not spread to human beings. Unusually a disease known to spread within animals only, has now spread to human beings speedily, killing many people – in Mexico. This virus disease is the Swine Flu. It is seen in swine like the Bird Flu is seen in fowls. Now, (it has changed its mind finding swine boring!) it is infecting man – due to reassortment of genes within its strains. The importance of this Swine flu is its alarming speed in spreading – it has now leaped up to other continents also, from Mexico, making itself a Pandemic from the Epidemic nature! It spreads from man to man through coughing or sneezing or even by touching the articles handled and then moving the hand either to the nose or the mouth! People suffering with this disease have the symptoms as that of Influenza – fever with chills, body pain, and headache, loss of appetite, sore throat, runny nose and cough. Usually its attacks are milder, and even if they are stronger antiviral medicines make it milder leading to recovery.

How to defend yourself against an infection with the Swine flu virus? Simply build general immunity within you by taking balanced diet, taking rest between works and having a good night’s sleep. And make it a habit to wash your hands and face (with soap and water) and gargle after your work and on entering your house. Avoid touching the nose, eyes or the mouth without washing the hands. If this flu is reported in your region, wear face masks and avoid visiting crowded places and make stringent washing the hands and face. Swine flu will be driven out of your way!

Hunger for prevention of starvation

Hunger is a feeling of urge. It is the main stimulus from a person’s body to its own organ (the stomach) to get filled up with food for meeting its energy demands. This craving of the body for food is not for the person’s satisfaction of palate but for the relief of this urge – the hunger. Hunger is a warning signal to avoid starvation and the resultant death. It is one of the Nature’s tools to keep on our living!

Continue to read about the ways to relieve the ‘persisting hunger’ that results out of lack of filling in with food here: Click On!

Viruses - genetical alterations in the news!

Viruses can produce diseases; but some harmless variety of them (Bacteriophages) has been genetically altered to give electric current at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)! This virus - using batteries behave just like other rechargeable batteries used for charging cell phones or personal music gadgets. Moreover these virus batteries are non-toxic, lightweight and dry like any other Lithium – ion batteries. More such bio-batteries may evolve soon and reduce chemical pollution also - to save us!

In another news, it is reported that a genetically altered plant kills one disease-producing virus ! Yes, it is about the Tobacco plant (Nicotiana benthamiana) that produces a protein that has anti-HIV properties. This protein in the form of a gel prevents the spread of HIV through sexual intercourse! For altering the plant to produce this protein, a virus called the Tobacco Mosaic Virus is used! A virus to kill another harmful virus, the HIV!

Paper Wasps drive you out!

In the months of June or July I see the busy activities of wasps in and around the house. Every year certain kind of wasps builds their nest on the ceiling of the dark lumbar room. They first attach a short stem made of fiber to the ceiling (like that of a ceiling fan). Then they start building cells made with paper like light material. This material is got by mixing saliva and fiber got from dead woods. The whole nest remains suspended from the stem dangling. Usually the female wasps build the nest and rear the larvae in the cells. These are the Paper Wasps (Polistes fuscatus). They are ferocious; but remain calm except when you disturb their nest. They will be observing you as you approach; when you disturb they will fly, fall on you and sting before you become conscious of the attack, and you shall come to know about it only after feeling the sting pain hurting. Moreover, once the nest is established the wasps will defend it for your any move to drive them out. In fact they will drive you out! To get rid of them, the nest with all the wasps and their larvae must be destroyed with fire. Because, even if a few wasps are left out they will build again a nest at the same site!

Electrocardiograph reports about Heart!

Heart is symbolized as the indicator of love. But this heart is more important than one’s love as it pumps and drains blood, the vital energizer of our body. It has to be kept healthy to live with ease! To measure its health easily – through its electrical activity, we have an instrument called the Electrocardiograph. This machine feels the electric current originating from the heart (in the magnitude of millivolts!) at various places of body and records it on a waxed paper, to be seen and read by a Physician. This record, Electrocardiogram (ECG ), is in the form of waves having varying amplitudes corresponding to the heart’s current. This ‘life line of waves’ has to be in normal shape for a healthy heart! Any slight change in it means one must take care of heart and get immediate treatment to sustain his/her life.

Reading one’s mind may fail; but reading this wonderful ECG shall not fail in knowing about heart’s health!

Indian Sarsaparilla to cool Head!

At summer when the afternoons are hot with bright light, an ice cold drink made with herbal syrup and lime is the favorite here in Tamil Nadu, South India, for quenching thirst. The cool drink mentioned here cools your head and the brain as you take it resting under a shadow! The main ingredient in it is the extract from the herb, Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indica, ‘Nannari’ in Tamil). We identify this herb here in coconut groves, hilly regions where they grow by themselves; it has long and pointed leaves with white striations, and it is a type of creeper. If you uproot it and smell the root you can confirm it: it has a sweet and pleasant smell!

In this modern day of selling newer and the newest cool drinks, this tasty syrup using the wonder herb is being still preferred among all the other syrups available!