* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Israel’s Entertainment Industry Is Being Targeted by the Left in Hollywood and the Right at Home – The Wall Street Journal

    Inside the Fierce Clash Shaping Israel’s Entertainment Industry: Hollywood vs. Local Voices

    Offset Is Ready To Finalize Divorce With Cardi B for a Major Reason – Yahoo

    Offset Poised to Finalize Divorce from Cardi B for a Major Reason

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    ENERCON and Biome collaborate for wind turbine noise reduction technology – Yahoo Finance

    ENERCON and Biome Join Forces to Revolutionize Wind Turbine Noise Reduction

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Israel’s Entertainment Industry Is Being Targeted by the Left in Hollywood and the Right at Home – The Wall Street Journal

    Inside the Fierce Clash Shaping Israel’s Entertainment Industry: Hollywood vs. Local Voices

    Offset Is Ready To Finalize Divorce With Cardi B for a Major Reason – Yahoo

    Offset Poised to Finalize Divorce from Cardi B for a Major Reason

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    ENERCON and Biome collaborate for wind turbine noise reduction technology – Yahoo Finance

    ENERCON and Biome Join Forces to Revolutionize Wind Turbine Noise Reduction

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

The Animals That Turn Bodily Fluids into Weapons

April 30, 2024
in Science
The Animals That Turn Bodily Fluids into Weapons
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Combat in nature is often a matter of tooth and claw, fang and talon. But some creatures have devised devious and dramatic ways to weaponize their bodily fluids, expelling them in powerful streams for the purposes of attack or self-defense. 

Researcher Elio Challita became fascinated by fluid ejections in nature when he began studying an insect called the sharpshooter, which pees one droplet at a time using a method called superpropulsion. These insects consume 300 times their own body weight per day in xylem sap, a watery solution of minerals and other nutrients found in the roots, stems, and leaves of plants. To efficiently expel the resulting waste, they use a kind of internal catapult that helps overcome the surface tension in the droplets. 

Challita and a team of researchers from the Bhamla Lab at Georgia Tech decided to survey the biomechanics and fluid dynamics that govern fluid ejections across the animal kingdom to see what commonalities they could find. Among others, they identified a number of creatures that use bodily fluids as powerful weapons in the fight for survival. These fluid ejections defy gravity and rebel against traditional notions of predator-prey tactics.

The team’s review, “Fluid Ejections in Nature,” is forthcoming in the Annual Review of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

1. Ringnecked Spitting Cobra

Cobras of the Naja genus defend against threats by spitting venom with extreme precision toward the eyes of an enemy, up to 6.5 feet away. These snakes release the venom through hollow microscopic fangs and can adjust the distribution of their spit with rapid movements. Spitting cobras have a venom discharge orifice that is more circular in shape than non-spitting species, which gives the venom more forward force. Contraction in the venom gland also helps. A 90-degree bend near the lip of the orifice gives the snake more precise control over venom flow. Naja pallida cobras can spit venom at average speeds of 1.27 milliliters per second.

In Body ImageReproduced from the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London; Callum Mair.

2. Archerfish 

Dwelling in mangrove-filled estuaries and freshwater streams, archerfish actively hunt down land-based insects such as flies and spiders, as well as small lizards, by shooting water jets out of their specialized mouths. The fish create these jets by raising a bony tongue to the roof of the mouth, which forms a tube from which they can expel the liquid jet. The fish can spit these jets of water at speeds of 6 feet per second and accelerations of up to 400 meters per second squared—by comparison, a cheetah can accelerate at a rate of 10 meters per second squared. The jets have an impact force that is far more powerful than the anchoring force of small insects and bugs. The archerfish hone their jet-shooting skills for hunting as they grow and mature, improving both speed and precision. They can also estimate the trajectory of prey who have been struck by a jet and capture it before other predators get there first.

In Body ImagePhoto by Scott Linstead.

3. Bloody-Eyed Lizard

Horned lizards can shoot jets of blood from their eye sockets in self-defense against predators. The lizards contract the muscles lining the veins around the eyes abruptly, resulting in increased pressure that helps in the formation of jets. These blood jets or squirts can travel up to a distance of around 3 feet, and contain chemicals that are toxic to dogs, wolves, and coyotes.

In Body ImageCredit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie / Flikr.

4. Bombardier Beetle 

Bombardier beetles store a solution of hydrogen peroxide, hydroquinones, and alkanes in one chamber in the back of their abdomens, and another solution of peroxidase and catalase enzymes in a second chamber. The moment they fear attack from a predator such as a toad, they mix the contents of the two chambers, which creates an exothermic reaction, bringing the temperature of the chemicals to a scalding 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The beetles discharge these boiling anal chemicals in pulsed jets at an average speed of around 33 feet per second for approximately 11 milliseconds. The bombardier beetle can control the direction of the spray using something known as the “Coanda effect,” a phenomenon by which the fluid flows along the curvature of a surface.

In Body ImageImage reprinted from Eisner T. and Aneshansley D., “Spray aiming in the bombardier beetle: Photographic evidence,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96, no. 17 (1999): 9705-9711, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.17.9705, with permission from the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead photo:USFWS Mountain-Prairie / Flikr

Kristen French

Posted on April 29, 2024

Kristen French is an associate editor at Nautilus.

new_letter

Get the Nautilus newsletter

Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Nautilus – https://nautil.us/the-animals-that-turn-bodily-fluids-into-weapons-564464/

Tags: animalsBodilyscience
Previous Post

U.S Needs To Better Track Bird Flu Spread in Farm Animals, Farm Workers, Epidemiologist Says

Next Post

Folk’N’Roll! Sara Dufour on Tour in the GBA

IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2025: Date, start time and how to watch live – TRI247

IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2025: Date, start time and how to watch live – TRI247

October 9, 2025
Canada’s economy is in serious trouble. Now Mark Carney is coming to Washington to talk tariffs – CNN

Canada’s economy is in serious trouble. Now Mark Carney is coming to Washington to talk tariffs – CNN

October 9, 2025
Israel’s Entertainment Industry Is Being Targeted by the Left in Hollywood and the Right at Home – The Wall Street Journal

Inside the Fierce Clash Shaping Israel’s Entertainment Industry: Hollywood vs. Local Voices

October 9, 2025
Better Food, Better Health: Redefining Chronic Disease Care Through Nutrition – The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®)

Better Food, Better Health: Redefining Chronic Disease Care Through Nutrition – The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®)

October 9, 2025
WATCH: ‘Come and get me,’ Pritzker responds to Trump’s call to put Illinois governor in jail – PBS

WATCH: ‘Come and get me,’ Pritzker responds to Trump’s call to put Illinois governor in jail – PBS

October 9, 2025
New Method to Monitor Wild Reindeer Populations Could Boost Conservation Efforts – Bioengineer.org

New Method to Monitor Wild Reindeer Populations Could Boost Conservation Efforts – Bioengineer.org

October 8, 2025
Scientists just proved the moai could walk, solving a 500-year mystery – ScienceDaily

Scientists Finally Reveal How the Moai Statues Could “Walk,” Solving a 500-Year Mystery

October 8, 2025
GenoPalate Advances Its Science Again With Diet Snapshot – Yahoo Finance

GenoPalate Advances Its Science Again With Diet Snapshot – Yahoo Finance

October 8, 2025
Horses making the rounds at Florida hospitals – The Union Democrat

Horses Bringing Joy and Healing to Florida Hospitals

October 8, 2025
ENERCON and Biome collaborate for wind turbine noise reduction technology – Yahoo Finance

ENERCON and Biome Join Forces to Revolutionize Wind Turbine Noise Reduction

October 8, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (858)
  • Economy (879)
  • Entertainment (21,752)
  • General (17,490)
  • Health (9,921)
  • Lifestyle (891)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (880)
  • Politics (890)
  • Science (16,089)
  • Sports (21,379)
  • Technology (15,859)
  • World (862)

Recent News

IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2025: Date, start time and how to watch live – TRI247

IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2025: Date, start time and how to watch live – TRI247

October 9, 2025
Canada’s economy is in serious trouble. Now Mark Carney is coming to Washington to talk tariffs – CNN

Canada’s economy is in serious trouble. Now Mark Carney is coming to Washington to talk tariffs – CNN

October 9, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version