This is going to be the first animal guessing competition. All you have to do is write the name of the animal in the comments section. I will notify you when the correct answer is in the comments. We going to start of nice and easy with this beetle which is 1.27cm to 1.9 cm long. It is named after the ingenious defence mechanism which it carries in its abdomen and that is why it is one of my favourite animals.
This beetle mixes two chemicals (hydrogen-peroxide and hydroquinone) and uses a muscle called the Sphincter's muscle to inject the mixture into a water filled explosion chamber. Then, the mixture is kept in the chamber until it is threatened.
When it is threatened, another chemical called catalase is added into the mixture causing steam. The steam, which can be as hot as 100 degrees Celsius, is then fired out of two nozzles at a speed of 20 metres per second (72 kilometers (45 miles) per hour) with pin point accuracy. This scorching and strong injection of steam is fatal to attacking insects and small creatures. It can even cause pain to human beings!
This beetle is carnivorous and hunts in the night. It lives in all the continents except Antarctica. You can find this beetle in woodlands or grasslands but they can be found in other places moist enough to lay their eggs.
Summary: I like this beetle because of the clever and brilliant defence mechanism it has. With further understanding, we can learn a lot from this fascinating beetle and we can apply the knowledge to engine technology which will improve our daily lives. So, I give this beetle a 10/10.
Image Credit:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/
By Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) (Photograph taken by Patrick Coin) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
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