From bugs that will detach a leg, to ants
that explode, here are 10 self-destructive animals…. 10. Leaf-Footed Bugs One of the main reasons animals purposefully
injure themselves is to escape danger. The Coreidae family of insects, more commonly
known as leaf-footed bugs, do this quite effectively, and it's actually extremely common for them
to do it to save themselves. Their legs often get caught by predators looking
for a meal, and their hind legs tend to be highly decorated with enlarged femurs designed
to be used as weapons when fighting over a mate or against something bigger. When this isn't enough, though, leaf-footed
bugs are able to detach their legs- a process known as autotomy. In 2016, a team of researchers collected samples
of nine different species of the insect and found that between 7.9 and 21.5 percent of
them had missing legs. This isn’t proof of autotomy in itself,
so they then took specimens back to the lab where they simulated a predator holding on
to a leg, and saw the bugs purposefully detaching them at the same leg joint. In some species, they found, it's only the
females that have the ability, but in others, it's both males and females that use this
as an evasive technique. 9. Crayfish Crayfish are a popular crustacean that are
eaten around the world, but for some, the idea of being on the dinner plate has led
them to extreme measures to get away. In 2018, a video went viral that showed a
crayfish as it was being cooked alive in a restaurant in China. It managed to get out of the water and onto
the side of the pot, before using its claw to sever a damaged limb, and then scuttling
across the table to its freedom. One of the diners adopted the crayfish and
gave it a new home in his aquarium. It’s amazing it survived the ordeal at all! This is, of course, an ability that Crayfish
use in the wild to escape predators or to remove parts of their claws that are no longer
able to function correctly. They are then able to re-grow their claws
over several sheds, to get one that’s almost as good as new. 8. Malaysian Worker Ant All species of ants work together for the
betterment of their colony- whether this be by collecting food, or taking care of the
new generations… But the Malaysian worker ant, that lives in
the jungles of Borneo, has developed a unique way of protecting the others- it can make
itself explode! The species has small mandibles and is unable
to sting, so predators may see them as easy prey. When the ants feel threatened they raise their
rears up as a warning that is filled with a poisonous sac. If the aggressor still doesn't back off, a
few ants will bite down on it, angle their rears as close as possible towards it, and
flex so hard that their abdomens explode. This releases a bright yellow, sticky, and
toxic substance that apparently smells like curry. This will at least be irritating to the predator,
but in many cases will immobilize the victims and prevent them from causing any harm to
the wider colony. A powerful deterrent!! This toxic explosion also kills the ant who
sacrifices itself to protect its own. 7. Deer Mice Deer mice live across North America, and can
be found across a wide range of habitats- usually choosing to live high up, or in hollow
trees. They have multi-colored tails, and their overall
coloration looks deer-like, which is where they got their name from. They are fairly easy to keep in captivity
because they like to keep themselves clean. Because of this, they are regularly used in
laboratory experiments but are also known carriers of various viruses such as hantavirus
and Lyme disease. The rodents are important prey for animals
like snakes and owls, so have a defense mechanism seen in a few other mouse species- they can
detach their tails. It's the easiest part of the mouse for a predator
to catch when chasing after them, and field mice are able to shed either part of their
tail or the whole thing. Following the detachment, a partial replacement
will grow to replace lost functionality, but the newly grown one will never be as strong
as its original. 6. Termite Tar Baby Termites are known for their love of chewing
through wood and, in some cases, even concrete…. Something that makes them responsible for
at least 5 billion dollars worth of damage every year in the US alone…. But there are a couple of things about these
insects that you might not be aware of. First is the question of what exactly a termite
is. For a long time, it was thought that they
were related to ants, but recent DNA analysis has shown that they are actually a type of
cockroach- which explains why termites and ants are often seen battling each other. Some species of termite also have an unusual
defense mechanism, known as autothysis. This is a form of suicide for the greater
good, that prevents invaders from causing further damage, and the termites do this by
releasing a tarry secretion. Often, termites will be overrun by ants, and
to prevent their advance, the soldier termites can rupture a gland in their neck, which causes
a very sticky substance to be released. If done within the tunnels of the nest, this
can block the path and incapacitate the ants, meaning that they need to find an alternate
route. It can even prevent any further attack on
the nest because many ants would perish in the attempt, and may decide it’s no longer
worth it. 5. The Brown Antechinus The Brown Antechinus is a small mammal that
can be found in eastern and south-eastern Australia- in regions such as Victoria, New
South Wales, and Queensland. They live in the dense undergrowth of forests
where they use fallen trees to build their nests and forage for food. They typically grow to up to an inch long
and have coarse grey-ish and brown fur. It’s because of their mating habits, though,
that this animal has become one of the most well-known self-destructive species. Females have a breeding season for about 3
months each year, during which they will birth one litter. Often, the females will die after rearing
their first litter, because they become more vulnerable to predators, but they can go on
to survive for two or three years. The males, however, will only breed once in
their lives. It's thought that a combination of the energy
required to compete with other males for a mate in the first place, along with heightened
levels of stress, cause their immune systems to stop working. They all die in the 11th or 12th month of
their life by parasites in the blood and intestine or liver infections. This actually has an evolutionary reason behind
it because, for all intents and purposes, their genes have already been passed on and
are no longer needed. If they were to survive longer, they would
compete with the newborns and females for food, which would severely reduce the number
of youths that would make it to adulthood the following year. 4. Aphids Aphids live in colonies called ‘galls' and
are another species that will, under certain circumstances, sacrifice themselves for the
protection of the others. Their main predators are ladybugs, especially
ladybug larvae who love nothing more than to gorge on the delicious aphids. This can prove to be a dangerous move, though,
because when they approach a gall, aphids start to pour out and attach themselves to
the invader by their jaws and legs. They then start to secrete large amounts of
waxy and sticky substances from their bodies, which quickly solidifies and glues the ladybug
to the plant… along with all the aphids. Eventually, everything that has gotten stuck
will die, and the colony will go on to live another day. It's not just any aphids that exhibit this
behavior, though, as a study has shown that the ones that do this are ‘menopausal'. In other words, they are the elders of the
colony and no longer have the ability to reproduce. In one last act, they sacrifice themselves
to protect their offspring. Invading predators aren’t the only reason
aphids do this, either. Japanese researchers have discovered that
a species of gall aphid will do this when there is a hole in the gall. To prevent it losing its structural integrity,
aphids will cling on to the hole, secrete the sticky substance and turn their own bodies
into a patch to fix it. 3. Salamander Salamanders are lizard-like amphibians that
can be found predominantly across the northern hemisphere, from North America to Europe,
Russia, and China. They live in wet environments, with some species
spending their entire lives underwater, and some have vivid colorings to warn predators
of their toxins, which can be extremely potent. Warnings aren’t always enough, however,
and particularly when laying their eggs, salamanders may have to fight to defend themselves. If things don’t go entirely to plan, they
can surrender their tails to the enemy, which will continue to twitch and give them a chance
to escape. Luckily for salamanders, within hours of this
happening, the cells at the site of the wound begin to rearrange themselves, a cap forms
over the site, and then a new tail begins to grow. This process regenerates everything, such
as tissue and blood vessels, and even nerve endings. This ability isn’t reserved for just the
tail, either. They can regenerate virtually any part of
their body in the same way, even entire legs. One of the most curious things about this
process to researchers is how their bodies know exactly what to grow back. If a foot is missing, only a foot will grow
back- and this suggests some form of positional memory within the cells. They hope that by understanding this process
further, similar techniques could be used in humans to heal from injuries. 2. Ananteris Scorpions Ananteris scorpions are a set of 64 rare species
that can be found in South America. Very little is actually known about them,
except for their unique colorations and a behavior that seems surprising for a scorpion—it's
ability to detach its own tail. This has been seen in 14 of the species and
is more common in males than females. When they are held by their tails they sever
the high up joints, which releases the tail and allows them to escape. The tail continues to twitch, reacts to contact,
and even attempts to sting. This is, however, a death sentence for the
scorpion. The immediate problem is that it loses its
ability to sting prey, and it's much more difficult to find food. The other problem is that the part of the
tail that is detached includes part of its digestive system and its anus. This means that once the tail is released,
the scorpion can no longer defecate. They have to stick to small meals and are
only able to survive a few more months- which means they are able to mate again before succumbing
to their injuries. Dark stuff!! 1. Spiders Spiders are the worst nightmare for many people,
and the more you look into their behavior, the worse they seem to become! Take their mating rituals, for example. You’ve probably heard about some species’
cannibalistic tendencies, but things go way further than that. Female velvet spiders, for example, will regurgitate
food for her new hatchlings to give them some initial sustenance, before offering her entire
body to the newborns to feed on. Males have their own sacrificial reproductive
tricks, too, that ensure they are the ones to father the children. They have two organs used for sperm transfer,
known as pedipalps, which they use one after another during mating. Some species will break off these organs while
still inside the female, which forms a copulatory plug and prevents any other males from trying
their luck. Other species, upon using the second pedipalp,
will simply die- and hang off the female in an act which is also effective at preventing
any other potential suitors. Some spiders don’t go to such extremes to
attract a mate. Instead, they provide her with a nuptial gift,
such as severing their own leg for her to feed on. If the taste is to her satisfaction, she’ll
become receptive to their advances and be ready to make spiderlings.
