Yet Another Cycling Forum

Random Musings => Miscellany => Where The Wild Things Are => Topic started by: Charlotte on 21 August, 2008, 03:28:05 pm

Title: Zombie Animals
Post by: Charlotte on 21 August, 2008, 03:28:05 pm
Scary shit (http://discovermagazine.com/photos/04-zombie-animals-and-the-parasites-that-control-them)

...particularly the bit about toxoplasmosis from cats  :o
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Jasmine on 21 August, 2008, 03:38:17 pm
Interestingly, in all of the examples except Toxoplasmosis, the benefit to the parasite of host behaviour change is obvious - usually associated with either larval survival or transmission to a second host to complete the lifecycle.  I wonder what the benefit of the behavioural changes described in humans are to the parasite.
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: border-rider on 21 August, 2008, 03:41:55 pm
Interesting

Maybe it explains why the pill bugs that live in our house venture out into the middle of the rooms and then dessicate.  Full-time job sweeping them up...

I know that snails are affected by parasites - at the old house Lambourn they used to climb right up the house to the eaves, and congregate there in significant numbers, which apparently is behaviour that makes them easier to be picked off by birds (to spread the parasite)  - at least that is so when it's grass they are climbing.
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Regulator on 21 August, 2008, 04:13:51 pm
Scary shit (http://discovermagazine.com/photos/04-zombie-animals-and-the-parasites-that-control-them)

...particularly the bit about toxoplasmosis from cats  :o


Montezuma's revenge for this, perhaps...

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/liz1848/Lolcatz/Satellitekitteh.jpg)


If I were Liz and you, I'd be scared... very scared!

We shall monitor you for signs that your mind is being controlled...*





*Though with your minds how would we know....  :P
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Charlotte on 21 August, 2008, 04:16:49 pm
Catty revenge is a dish best served with Whiskers.  I'm fully expecting to get home and find that the little git has pissed in the hallway again...

Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 21 August, 2008, 07:46:28 pm
And that's why you shouldn't flush your kitty litter down the toilet folks!

There was a documentary on tv a while back showing how sea otters were having problems on West Coast America because they became infected by toxoplasmosis which made them unable to forage properly. - They traced the outbreak to a nearby sewage outfall and reckoned it was down to cat owners flushing kitty doo-doo.
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Zipperhead on 23 August, 2008, 02:03:19 am
Quote from: Regulator link=topic=7237.msg126221#msg126221
If I were Liz and you, I'd be scared... [i
very[/i] scared!

We shall monitor you for signs that your mind is being controlled...*

Monty practices his mind control rays....

(http://80.177.3.51/yACF/20080820/IMG_1259.jpg)
Title: Re: Zombie Animals
Post by: Adrian on 23 August, 2008, 10:22:30 am
And that's why you shouldn't flush your kitty litter down the toilet folks!

There was a documentary on tv a while back showing how sea otters were having problems on West Coast America because they became infected by toxoplasmosis which made them unable to forage properly. - They traced the outbreak to a nearby sewage outfall and reckoned it was down to cat owners flushing kitty doo-doo.

Although no sewage outfall would be a better solution