Nature surprised us 6 times in 2021

Day after day, human nature surprises, in the midst of endless discoveries. Over the course of 2021, there was no shortage of opportunities to rave about a new study, a rare appearance, or even the shocking spread of social media. Remember the surprises that biology has in store for us during this time!

6. Bees descend against the light

A scientist from the University of Cambridge (UK) invaded a space on social networks by recording an unusual behavior of bees: when a researcher turned off the lights in the glass box, all the bees inside stopped flying in an instant, instinctive reaction, as if they had lost the ability to fly. Theories are numerous, ranging from a simple response in the face of danger to a complex relationship between bees and the sun. However, there is no definitive answer.

Here is another video of bees falling from the sky when the lights are out. I’m amazed it’s an on/off option for them – no nimble attempt to slide to the ground or anything like that, they literally stop flying and land. Surely this is more dangerous than continuing to fly? pic.twitter.com/TotxihLywQ

Hamish Symington December 3, 2021

5. Spider in time lapse

Fortunately, technology has allowed us to follow nature in more detail, evidence of this was a time-lapse video of a spider of sorts. Gasteracantha . precancerous Weaving his network, which caught the attention of TikTok users. Once released, the spider videos reached millions of views.

@dinaoren0 Original sound – Dina Oren

4. Insects vomit

A study by the University of Freiburg (Switzerland) found that ants simply spit on each other as a way of interacting and exchanging information. According to the article, during this process, humans may consider disgusting, the ants transfer nutrients and proteins, and through this exchange they establish some kind of connection between each member of the colony.

It is worth noting that in 2021 we also discovered that flies need to vomit in food before eating it. It’s just because flies don’t have teeth, they end up secreting their own gastric juices over food to turn it into a liquid.

3. Smart pet

We live with pets daily, but even the types we are used to can surprise us. A study by Eötvös University Loránd (Hungary), for example, revealed that dogs can understand much more than brief commands like “sit” and “land”: because humans are constantly talking to these pets, they end up being Mammals become more susceptible to connections with words.

In the same year, a study by Kyoto University (Japan) found that domestic cats create “mental maps” that show the whereabouts of nearby humans, based on the origin of sounds.

2. Giant animals

Nature in 2021 surprised us with many rare sights, such as a giant owl of this species. Bobo Shellywhich humans have not seen since 1870. Environmentalists at Imperial College London were able to record this very rare sighting:

a few days ago, Tweet embed I found and photographed Shelly’s Eagle Owl on the Otiwa mountain range in Ghana. Ghana’s first recent documented record and first field photograph of the species. pic.twitter.com/9CpY9ZqiNB

– Rob Williams (@robsrw) October 21, 2021

Meanwhile, biologists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have captured the California giant ghost jellyfish. The animal, which is about 10 meters long, was seen swimming about 975 metres.

In a video published by the University of Cambridge (UK), a giant turtle is seen attacking a bird, an eccentric behavior that has surprised even experts.

1. Two-headed snake

The biggest surprise that nature has in store for us in 2021 was captured on video: a two-headed snake eats two mice at once. Whoever shared the shocking photo was Brian Barczyk, a fan of reptiles. Each snake’s head was given a name: Ben and Jerry. The animal only has one stomach, and their bronchi fuse an inch under their heads.