Eels!!!!

What is this snake flattened by a steamroller? It's an eel! Eels are very odd and mysterious organisms, and little is known about them. However, we must race to save the eels before overfishing devastates the population. 

Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal, and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft).They begin life as flat and transparent larvae, or glass eels. Glass eels drift in the surface waters of the sea, feeding on marine snow, small particles that float in the water.  Maturing eels travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs, dams, and natural waterfalls. Eels are also caught and raised for food, especially in Japan and China. Once, the eel population declined dramatically due to overfishing, and it became illegal to catch eels without a license. Still, though, they are raised for food. Luckily, now, the eel population is making a comeback.

This is a glass eel. They are totally transparent, and only a few centimeters in length. 

When you think of eels, probably you think of electric eels. Their shocking ability comes from two organs in their body:  the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ. These organs make up four-fifths of its body, and are what give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so a current of ions can flow through them and stacked so each one adds to a potential difference. When the eel locates its prey, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the electrocytes. This opens the ion channels, allowing sodium to flow through. By causing a sudden difference in electric potential, it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery. The Sach's organ is used mainly in electrolocation, while the Hunter's organ produces the current to shock prey.

Electric Eel

You can help protect eels by simply not eating it. At some sushi restaurants, they sell eel sushi or eel sauce. Before you order an eccentric sort of sushi, ask if it involves eel. 

Invasive Species

    

This looks like your average toad, right? Wrong! This is a cane toad, a species of toad that is taking over Australia as you read this!

Cane toads were originally imported from South America to eat the sugar cane beetles that were devouring the farmer’s crops. However, they ate more than sugar cane beetles. Cane toads had no natural predators, and a great abundance of natural food. This is a bad mix for the lives of the native organisms. To make matters worse, cane toads are highly toxic, and whatever organism eats it will die. They ooze white poison from a gland on the side of their body. You can research whether or not your country has cane toads, and if they are a problem in your country, do not touch any brown amphibian you see(unless it’s a salamander)!

 These white gobs are the killer poison.

Here is a case of invasive species you may be more familiar with, especially if you live in the southern United States. The case of the invasive brown stinkbug! Probably every stinkbug you see is brown. When you see a green stinkbug, you may find it unusual. Once, the brown stinkbug was an unusual sight. What happened? When these new brown stinkbugs were introduced, they had less natural predators, and were better equipped for competition than the green ones. Therefore, the brown ones took over. You can help monitor this by participating in SciStarter project Brown Marmorated Stinkbug Project(http://www.scistarter.com/project/663-Brown%20marmorated%20stink%20bug%20locations?tab=project)

Here is another unusual case of invasive species:  The invasive lionfish!

This is quite an extravagant display! These fancy fins are actually poison spears! Lionfish live in shallow waters and eat small fish and mollusks. These fish have a large appetite, and if their population unnaturally explodes, it can result in disaster. Now, lionfish are eating their way through the Atlantic ---- at a faster speed than sharks can eat them! The trouble all started when only six lionfish were released from an aquarium. This shows how only a few non-native species can cause disaster in a new environment. What can you do? Don’t release any pet that you want to get rid of or  give the pet an opportunity to escape(unless it is an outdoor cat or dog!).  Advertise the pet on a local bulletin board, or in your neighborhood. You can even say on the flyer not to release in the wild!

Ways to Help Snails

You've seen this before! It's a snail! Here is how to help these one-of-a-kind mollusks.

Watch your step! Whenever you walk down your driveway or to your front door, look at your feet! If it is after a storm, it is guaranteed you will come across one. Do not step on it! 

Snails and slugs are considered garden pests, but do not kill them! Before you kill an insect(or mollusk, in this case), always think about what the alternative could be. Here all you have to do is make a snail habitat in a fairly large fishtank. First, out in a thin layer of soil. Next, put in some rocks(both large and small). Then, add in some grass and moss. After that, you can prop some sticks up on the walls of the tank. Now you are ready to stock it with food! You can put in juicy leaves, but from my experience,snails prefer mushrooms! 

You can make your backyard snail-friendly, too. Whenever a log falls, instead of putting it in the trash, shove it in a shady spot of your yard. Scatter the ground with bits of dead leaves and rocks, and wait for the snails. 

Both snails and slugs are members of the family molluska, and in the class gastropoda. Gastropod means stomach foot, but snails actually do not move by means of stomach. Their stomachs and other organs are located in the shell. Snails and slugs have very odd eyes, them being suspended on tentacles. However, these long eyes are useful for probing in the leaf litter while seeing what you are doing. They can also act as feelers to sense what is in front of them. If there is danger, the snail will draw into its shell. If you have touched a snail, this was probably its response. 

Sometimes you may have seen trails of shiny slime. This comes from snails! This substance is mucus produced by the snail's 'foot'. This is usually used for crawling on. The mucus of a gastropod serves the function of a glue, allowing land snails to crawl up vertical surfaces without falling off. The slime trail that a land snail leaves behind is often visible as a silvery track on surfaces such as stone or concrete.

However, snails do not live only on land. They can live in water, too! When living in water, snails tend to appear much more colorful, but other than that, they look exactly like land snails. These water snails are only found in shallow water, and are especially abundant in coral reefs. Unlike land snails, sea snails can be poisonous to the touch(except for those in pet stores). They are also carnivorous. Some species will even eat other species of snail! Sea snails have the same internal structure and produce mucus.