Friday Fun: Five Gross and Goofy Body Facts

1. A female tachinid fly’s ears are near the tops of her legs. She uses them to locate other insects so she can spray them with larvae. The young flies burrow into unsuspecting insects and devour them from the inside out. Yuck!

2. A male platypus stabs its enemies with sharp, poisonous spurs on the backs of its legs.

3. As a honeybee collects pollen from flowers, it stores the nutritious food in tiny baskets on its back legs.

4. Dragonfly larvae bend their legs to create a net that’s perfect for catching mosquitoes, gnats, and other tasty treats.

5. As a daddy longlegs races across the ground, it waves its two longest legs in the air. They help the daddy longlegs hear, smell, and taste.

Looking for more Gross and Goofy Body facts? Check out my book Give Me a Hand: The Secrets of Hands, Feet, Arms, and Legs. It’s full of weird, wacky, strange, and surprising information about your body and the bodies of other animals.