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Help With Woodlice!
- Thread starter METALMICKY
- Start date
Skaville
Well-known member
Salty or sweet?
You may also like thesee woodlouse facts. It's important to know your enemy. I have often been accused of talking through my anus, but I have never drunk through it. That's like... self felching or something...
Woodlice Oddities:
Ammonia excretion
Woodlice do not produce urine. Instead of excreting urine, woodlice excrete their nitrogenous waste in the form of ammonia gas. Most animals find ammonia to be too toxic for excretion and so any ammonia formed is normally converted to urea or uric acid for excretion.
Woodlice seem to have very high resistance to ammonia and are able to excrete it as a gas directly through the surface of their exoskeleton. This means that they do not need to use energy to convert the ammonia to area or uric acid before excretion.
Blue blood
Woodlice along with most other crustaceans have the compound haemocyanin in their blood. Haemocycanin carries oxygen in the same way that haemoglobin does in mammals. Haemocycanin contains a copper atom instead of the iron atom found in haemogobin. The blood is pale blue when it is carrying oxygen and colourless when it is not carrying oxygen.
Because a woodlouse contains very small amounts of haemocycanin it is not possible to see these colour changes by direct observation.
Coprophagy
Woodlice, like many other animals, eat their faeces. In the case of woodlice this helps them to reabsorb sufficient copper minerals which have been lost in their faeces. Bacterial action on the faeces probably changes the copper to a form which is more easily absorbed into their bodies. Coprophagy is the term used to refer to the eating of faeces.
Drinking through the anus
Woodlice get water with their food. But they can also drink it through their mouth parts and also by using their uropods. The uropods are tube-like structures on the posterior of the animal. When they use them for drinking they press their uropods close together and touch it against a moist surface. Capillary action pulls the water up the uropods and into the anus.
Woodlice also seem to be able to absorb water vapour directly through their exoskeleton surface in regions of high humidity, and in fact if they remain in high humidity regions for too long they appear to become water logged and then tend to move to areas of lower humidity.
Isaac Asimov and Woodlice
When he was a young child, Isaac's mother was startled by the strange expression on his face and asked him what was wrong. He was unable to reply so she became alarmed by this apparent affliction. Isaac, in an effort to calm his mother spat out a mouthful of woodlice.
When asked why he had done such a thing, he replied that he had thought that they would probably tickle his tongue as they walked about inside his mouth. Apparently they did tickle - although his mother did not appreciate this turn of scientific curiosity.
Moulting
You may sometimes see a woodlouse which is two toned. For example the front half of the body may be a pinkish colour and the back half may be the "normal" grayish colour. This occurs because the woodlouse moults its exoskeleton in two sections. It first moults the back half of its exoskeleton, then a few days later it moults the front half.
The advantage of this two part moult is to help reduce its vulnerability to predation or desiccation during moulting. Adults moult about every two months.
Sense of smell
Woodlice are able to detect chemical odours by using sensory receptors on either the ends of the large antennae or on the surface of their antennulae - these are usually an inner pair of insignificant small antennae. P. scaber seems to be able to detect litter by smelling the odours released by micro-organisms living on the litter.
You may also like thesee woodlouse facts. It's important to know your enemy. I have often been accused of talking through my anus, but I have never drunk through it. That's like... self felching or something...
Woodlice Oddities:
Ammonia excretion
Woodlice do not produce urine. Instead of excreting urine, woodlice excrete their nitrogenous waste in the form of ammonia gas. Most animals find ammonia to be too toxic for excretion and so any ammonia formed is normally converted to urea or uric acid for excretion.
Woodlice seem to have very high resistance to ammonia and are able to excrete it as a gas directly through the surface of their exoskeleton. This means that they do not need to use energy to convert the ammonia to area or uric acid before excretion.
Blue blood
Woodlice along with most other crustaceans have the compound haemocyanin in their blood. Haemocycanin carries oxygen in the same way that haemoglobin does in mammals. Haemocycanin contains a copper atom instead of the iron atom found in haemogobin. The blood is pale blue when it is carrying oxygen and colourless when it is not carrying oxygen.
Because a woodlouse contains very small amounts of haemocycanin it is not possible to see these colour changes by direct observation.
Coprophagy
Woodlice, like many other animals, eat their faeces. In the case of woodlice this helps them to reabsorb sufficient copper minerals which have been lost in their faeces. Bacterial action on the faeces probably changes the copper to a form which is more easily absorbed into their bodies. Coprophagy is the term used to refer to the eating of faeces.
Drinking through the anus
Woodlice get water with their food. But they can also drink it through their mouth parts and also by using their uropods. The uropods are tube-like structures on the posterior of the animal. When they use them for drinking they press their uropods close together and touch it against a moist surface. Capillary action pulls the water up the uropods and into the anus.
Woodlice also seem to be able to absorb water vapour directly through their exoskeleton surface in regions of high humidity, and in fact if they remain in high humidity regions for too long they appear to become water logged and then tend to move to areas of lower humidity.
Isaac Asimov and Woodlice
When he was a young child, Isaac's mother was startled by the strange expression on his face and asked him what was wrong. He was unable to reply so she became alarmed by this apparent affliction. Isaac, in an effort to calm his mother spat out a mouthful of woodlice.
When asked why he had done such a thing, he replied that he had thought that they would probably tickle his tongue as they walked about inside his mouth. Apparently they did tickle - although his mother did not appreciate this turn of scientific curiosity.
Moulting
You may sometimes see a woodlouse which is two toned. For example the front half of the body may be a pinkish colour and the back half may be the "normal" grayish colour. This occurs because the woodlouse moults its exoskeleton in two sections. It first moults the back half of its exoskeleton, then a few days later it moults the front half.
The advantage of this two part moult is to help reduce its vulnerability to predation or desiccation during moulting. Adults moult about every two months.
Sense of smell
Woodlice are able to detect chemical odours by using sensory receptors on either the ends of the large antennae or on the surface of their antennulae - these are usually an inner pair of insignificant small antennae. P. scaber seems to be able to detect litter by smelling the odours released by micro-organisms living on the litter.
Tom Bombadil
Well-known member
My family call woodlice ball-e-wargs. I have no idea why.
fascinating
both , but sweet for me . . . . not a salty fan
I talk out of my anus from time to time ( stella artois ) but I don't drink through it
both , but sweet for me . . . . not a salty fan
I talk out of my anus from time to time ( stella artois ) but I don't drink through it
Tom Bombadil
Well-known member
Oh and my wife is frightened of them, so i never bring any in from the garden to look at so she runs upstairs swearing . No I never do that at all.
Tom Bombadil
Well-known member
She calls them hardibacks.
Skaville
Well-known member
"Woodlice, like many other animals, eat their faeces."
Should that read "Woodlice, like Palace fans, eat their faeces."?
Should that read "Woodlice, like Palace fans, eat their faeces."?
i fuckin love this siteJimmy Saville said:
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Jimmy Saville said:
Skaville
Well-known member
According to the earthlife factsheet for raising woodlice, the mating process is as follows: “The male climbs onto a receptive female, licks her head and drums on her back with his legs for about five minutes. 
He then shifts to a diagonal position on the female’s back and passes sperm to her left side genital opening from his right hand stylets. He then changes his position to the opposite diagonal and deposits sperm in her right hand genital opening from his left hand stylet. Sperm transfer takes about 5 minutes for each side. In some species such as Philoscia muscorum and Armadillidium vulgare breeding is synchronised within a colony so that all breed at the same time.”
He then shifts to a diagonal position on the female’s back and passes sperm to her left side genital opening from his right hand stylets. He then changes his position to the opposite diagonal and deposits sperm in her right hand genital opening from his left hand stylet. Sperm transfer takes about 5 minutes for each side. In some species such as Philoscia muscorum and Armadillidium vulgare breeding is synchronised within a colony so that all breed at the same time.”
Skaville
Well-known member
Is Leon Knight a woodlouse? If he was and he had contracted Wolbachia bacteria it may explain his recent behaviour...
Changing Sex
Male woodlice infected by Wolbachia bacteria will turn into female woodlice! The bacteria upset the normal action of the woodlouse male hormone.
Changing Sex
Male woodlice infected by Wolbachia bacteria will turn into female woodlice! The bacteria upset the normal action of the woodlouse male hormone.
attila
1997 Club
We have 4 fire bellied toads who live on woodlice, for the 9 months or so that they are active and available from the garden (the other 3 months they eat crickets) Gather as many of them as you can and bring 'em to the PA box on Boxing Day and you'll make Brighton and Albion (my two) and Northwich and Victoria (Robina's two) very happy...
I'm sure you could have them out on loan for a while as long as they don't get injured (and all four are cup-tied, of course)
Our 2 paddle tailed newts, Ward and Lawrenson, also eat woodlice but prefer slugs and bloodworms.
I'm sure you could have them out on loan for a while as long as they don't get injured (and all four are cup-tied, of course)
Our 2 paddle tailed newts, Ward and Lawrenson, also eat woodlice but prefer slugs and bloodworms.
Skaville
Well-known member
attila said:
Attila, is your alter ego Harvey Denton from the League of Gentleman?
Skaville
Well-known member
Harvey Denton - keeper of toads, and guardian of his family home against the humble microbe. Something of a witch1, his knowledge of toads and toad species extends almost into the maniacal. His household rules are tantamount to divine law - put a shoe out of place in his lobby, and you will be looked upon as scum for the remainder of your stay. He and his wife Val scripted various poems and a song in order that his guests would never find themselves wondering when to wash their hands, or just which coloured towel with which to dry their feet after showering. He also has an unshakeable faith in the powers of aqua vita first thing on a morning - not so much mineral water, as a recycled version of what you had to drink last thing yesterday.
The consistant breaking of his carefully set-out rules has led Harvey to be distrustful of the world at large - particularly the young. He felt compelled to remind his nephew Benjamin every few minutes to restrain himself from indulging in "the pleasures of the palm", resulting in a varied selection of euphemisms for this pastime. These include "shaking hands with the governor of love", "pumping your fist", "shaking hot white coconuts from the veiny love tree", and more, too numerous to expound here.
These peculiar eccentricities can be traced back to when Harvey was a young boy, taunted because of his facial warts - people would point and cry "Here comes Harvey toad-face", or "Quick, hide! Toad-face Denton is coming!" And as Val sadly points out, that was just his own mother and father. He came to feel drawn to that with which he was compared - he has kept toads to this day, and attempts to exert power over all around him. He'll never be mocked again, you mark my words.
Quote: "If only life were so simple! I would've wished for a self-lowering lavatory seat a long, long time ago..."
The consistant breaking of his carefully set-out rules has led Harvey to be distrustful of the world at large - particularly the young. He felt compelled to remind his nephew Benjamin every few minutes to restrain himself from indulging in "the pleasures of the palm", resulting in a varied selection of euphemisms for this pastime. These include "shaking hands with the governor of love", "pumping your fist", "shaking hot white coconuts from the veiny love tree", and more, too numerous to expound here.
These peculiar eccentricities can be traced back to when Harvey was a young boy, taunted because of his facial warts - people would point and cry "Here comes Harvey toad-face", or "Quick, hide! Toad-face Denton is coming!" And as Val sadly points out, that was just his own mother and father. He came to feel drawn to that with which he was compared - he has kept toads to this day, and attempts to exert power over all around him. He'll never be mocked again, you mark my words.
Quote: "If only life were so simple! I would've wished for a self-lowering lavatory seat a long, long time ago..."
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,347
I have a pet lizard called Tiny. Why do I call him Tiny? Because he's minute.
Jimmy Saville said:Attila, is your alter ego Harvey Denton from the League of Gentleman?
Do you think he went out in the jungle to catch them?
Toads that is!
You can buy them at a pet shop in Ipswich (same one as the Norwegian Blue). Roaches come from Paradise Pets in Shoreham.
PS: my fish will not eat wood lice not even Ligia. They have been to swallow the little plastic bits off the aquarium pumps. But wood lice, nah!
The fish (the actual one posing for its picture, circa 1982 pre Cup Final, it was released from its contract, not sold, a free transfer):
PS: Brighton Sea Life Centre wanted one of my fish on a free transfer. The nerve. I wanted them to make a £4 figure transfer bid. Alas, the aquarium leaked and then I was looking for a fish taxidermist.
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Arthritic Toe
Well-known member
They're called "gramazels" in Cornwall. Taste the same though.