Amazing Living Creatures – Prepare to be AMAZED!

By Jessica Breazeale

(My personal list of amazement)

1.      Ants

I know what you’re thinking, “Yeah, yeah…we’ve heard this a million times. Ants are incredible but I tend to disagree because they bite, they make you itch, they are a nuisance…” and I totally get it. I hear ya. I really do! But, ants are some seriously brilliant architects and engineers and do not concern themselves with the red tape. They work together to accomplish the task and complete the job. Prepare to be amazed…

2.      Superb Birds of Paradise

 These birds are so theatrical. If you need to be entertained, check out these dancers online.

Superb Birds of Paradise do a quick “costume change” to perform for a potential mate to attempt to woo them with their sweet dance moves. The better the dancer, the better the chances of a hot date. Prepare to be amazed…

3.      Parrot Fish

The first time I saw parrot fish, I was snorkeling in St. Thomas, and the parrot fish were everywhere. I have never felt more delighted or welcomed in someone else’s home. They were all smiles, which comforted me. I felt like I was in a comedy and they were about to pull a prank. Imagine hundreds of these guys all around you. You’re sure to feel like you’re back in the hospitality state we all used to know and love. It looks like they’re saying, “How’s ya mama & them?” or “Howdy, ma’am!” They look so polite and joyful. Prepare to be amazed…

4.      Immortal Jellyfish

Who in their right mind would like a jellyfish? I didn’t say I liked it. I said it was an amazing creature as in extremely interesting. This jellyfish looks something right out of science fiction. But it’s NOT. It’s real, and I’d really be scared if I could upon one. The most fascinating thing about the immortal jellyfish is that it is biologically immortal, meaning that the creature cannot be killed. When it feels threatened, it retracts its tentacles inside its body, falling to the floor, starting the life cycle all over again. This process, called transdifferentiation, sounds otherworldly to me that a living creature doesn’t die. Prepare to be amazed…

5.      Kungfu Mantis – when threatened, it will stand up in a karate kid stance to appear larger to the prey as a defense. The iconic finishing move from the 1984 film The Karate Kid is called the Crane Kick taught by Mr. Miyagi, to Daniel LaRusso. The move obviously spilled out into the lives of the Kungfu Mantis. Prepare to be amazed…

6.      We are. Seeing a fetus in the womb via ultrasound is a remarkable, emotional experience that allows parents to witness early development, such as a heartbeat at 6.5 weeks, limb movement by 8-9 weeks, and detailed, lifelike 3D/4D images later in pregnancy. According to Google AI, a baby is regarded as alive from a biological perspective at fertilization (conception) when a distinctive, living organism with its very own DNA is formed. Prepare to be amazed…