7/4 Posted December 7, 2004 Report Posted December 7, 2004 Lizard walking on water is no mystery! Press Trust of India New Delhi, December 1 Does the claim of walking on water by some Indian yogis have a scientific basis? A definite answer to this is yet to come but the US biologists S Tonia Hsieh and George V Lauder at Harvard University have explained how some lizards are able to run on water at speeds of about four kilometres per hour or more. Basilisk lizards (Basiliscus plumifrons) are proficient water runners, regularly dashing across bodies of water to evade predators. The Harvard scientists have made direct measurements of the force produced by the lizards while running across water using "digital particle image velocimetry." The technique involves seeding the water with reflective particles and illuminating the area of interest with a thin laser sheet. Particle movement can then be traced and the forces calculated. Waterfowl are known to slap the water with their feet during flapping take-off. However, they obtain a great deal of lift from their wings. Basilisk lizards that weigh up to 200 grams are unique in that they regularly run across water, using only their feet as a source of both lift and thrust. In their study, five juvenile basilisks were induced to run across a 0.8-m-long water track. Each running sequence was filmed with two synchronised high-speed cameras. They found that the lizards produced greatest support and propulsive forces during the first half of the step, when the foot moves primarily vertically downwards into the water. They also produced large transverse reaction forces that change from medial to lateral throughout the step. "These forces may act to dynamically stabilise the lizards during water running," the scientists reported in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. "This study quantifies the forces produced after the foot impacts the water to understand how basilisks are able to produce both propulsive thrust and lift during bipedal locomotion on water," they said. "Our results give insight into the mechanics of how basilisk lizards run across water," they said and added "basilisk lizards, therefore, serve as interesting model organisms for examining the mechanics of this remarkable locomotor feat". Quote
7/4 Posted December 7, 2004 Author Report Posted December 7, 2004 Lizard, expelled from school, finds a home Quynh Tran and Emily Seftel The Arizona Republic Dec. 4, 2004 12:00 AM The bearded dragon lizard was supposed to be a temporary member of the Pastor household. Three years ago, it lived in Matthew Pastor's fifth-grade classroom. The Pastors would host the lizard in their Mesa home during school breaks. But during a school inspection, fire authorities said the heating lamp and housing unit for the lizard could be a fire hazard. So the lizard, dubbed Mr. Abbie, became a permanent member of the family. advertisement "He's not that hard to take care of," said Matthew, 13. "You just have to make sure he has water and food." Mr. Abbie eats live crickets and commercial food. The family supplies him with about 30 crickets a week. He's not a particularly active pet, although he does go out in the yard for exercise when the family dogs aren't out. "He just kind of sits there. He's not aggressive," Matthew said. "He's got big old claws so he can hang off your shirt, but he would never hurt you. People think he's pretty cool." "He's a neat critter," Matthew's mom, Monica, agreed. Questionnaire What is your pet's name and breed? Mr. Abbie; bearded dragon lizard. How did you choose your pet's name? When I got him he was named Abbie. Then I found out he was a boy so I named him Mr. Abbie. We bought a book to learn more about him and found out how to figure out if he was male or female. Where did you get your pet? He was donated to my classroom in fifth grade. After we had him a few months, my teacher, Mrs. Massey, was told that his warming light was a fire hazard and we couldn't keep him. Because I was the one who always took care of him, she offered to let me have him. My mom was OK with it, but we had to convince my dad; that's a whole other story. My dad was bent on not getting any more pets. He thought two dogs, two cats, one fish, one guinea pig, one dwarf hamster and one bearded dragon would be too much. What is your pet's worst habit? His poop smells a lot. You just want to run away. The smell stays a few days no matter what you do. We turn on all the fans and everything. It doesn't change anything. Has your pet ever embarrassed you? No. People either think he is cool or you can use him to scare people. How do you celebrate your pet's birthday? I don't know his birthday. I don't even know how old he is. But when he was young, he lost a lot of his tail. I think it is growing back at three-quarters inch per year. What's the best thing about your pet? He is so calm that even my mom likes him. Now my dad thinks he is pretty cool, too. I have seen other bearded dragons, and they are a lot smaller than him. He is 11 inches long, but if he had his full tail, he would be at least 18 inches. Quote
Craig23 Posted December 8, 2004 Report Posted December 8, 2004 Stupid trivia: The 1990's indie band The Jesus Lizard named themselves after the water walking lizard. Quote
DTMX Posted December 8, 2004 Report Posted December 8, 2004 Great King Crimson reference. I need to check out this recording again. Quote
7/4 Posted December 8, 2004 Author Report Posted December 8, 2004 (edited) "Lady, there's a lizard in my meal" Edited December 8, 2004 by 7/4 Quote
7/4 Posted December 8, 2004 Author Report Posted December 8, 2004 Naked Man Jumps Into Lizard Tank Quote
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