Not only does it have a harpoon, but the harpoon is filled with a deadly poison that quickly kills its prey.
Is this another meat-eating plant? No, it just looks like a plant. A tiny cactus, to be exact. That is the camouflage of this organism called the Hydra, which lives in freshwater ponds, streams, and lakes.
The hydra can regenerate tissue when injured or severed. This process is called morphallaxis.
Hydras are very strange creature indeed. Every cell in its tiny body is replaced every forty-five days. It can grow not only a new tentacle, of which it often has six, but it can grow a new head.
If a hydra’s head is cut the long way, down toward the neck, it will grow two new heads. It can even have six, seven, or eight heads all on the same body. There is also a green hydra that has algae living in its skin (that’s where the green comes from).
This hydra never really has to worry about going hungry. If it can’t find something to eat, it just nibbles away at the algae. This can’t happen too often, or the algae wouldn’t stay around, but it must be nice to have a “built-in” dinner.
Related Posts
-
How Fast Do Fingernails Grow, Do Fingernails Grow Faster In Summer, and How Fast Do Toenails Grow?
Fingernail growth averages out to about a tenth of a millimeter a day. Toenails are about a half to a third slower, and drugs or disease can change the growth rate. There are…
-
How Does a Coconut Grow Into a Coconut Palm Tree and Can You Grow a Coconut Palm From a Coconut?
It is possible to grow a coconut palm from a coconut, if it is an unhusked coconut. The ones usually sold as food have had their tough fibrous outer coating removed. The hairy…
-
How Big Can Crabs Grow and Can They Grow As Large As Monsters In Movies?
Most crabs are small enough to hold in your hand, ranging from one inch to eight inches across. But there is one kind of crab, the giant spider crab found in the waters…
-
Where Does Algae Come From, Why Does Algae Grow In Birdbaths, and How Do You Get Rid of Pond Algae?
Some of us have birdbaths in our garden with a large plastic receptacle fashioned from a plant-pot saucer to hold the water. Many birds use it each day, but it is common to…
-
How Fast Does Your Hair Grow?
The hair on your head grows about half an inch each month. Even when your body stops growing taller, your hair will still keep growing. Hair grows faster in summer than in winter,…
-
Why does mildew only grow in between the tiles on the shower wall?
Mildew only grows in between the tiles on the shower wall because it has to do with the porousness of the surface. Ceramic tile is glazed and therefore not porous like the grout…
