Fat dinosaurs

[dyqik]

however many caterpillars are fluffy.

but butterflies are smooth.

Monarch butterfly caterpillars are smooth, while Monarch butterflies are somewhat fluffy.

[plodder]

and moths are fluffy, even though they spend all their time hanging out with hot lightbulbs.

Fluff is not just temperature regulation, science.

[noggins]

[plodder]

then explain worms

[plodder]

is it the fat? would a skinny worm be fluffy? is it the wet? would a dry worm be fluffy? ducks get wet, and they’re fat. and very, very fluffy.

[dyqik]

is it the fat? would a skinny worm be fluffy? is it the wet? would a dry worm be fluffy? ducks get wet, and they’re fat. and very, very fluffy.

Temperatures are pretty stable underground, and worms burrow down below the frost line.

[plodder]

is it the fat? would a skinny worm be fluffy? is it the wet? would a dry worm be fluffy? ducks get wet, and they’re fat. and very, very fluffy.

Temperatures are pretty stable underground, and worms burrow down below the frost line.

wrong

https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/do ... ve-winter/

[dyqik]

is it the fat? would a skinny worm be fluffy? is it the wet? would a dry worm be fluffy? ducks get wet, and they’re fat. and very, very fluffy.

Temperatures are pretty stable underground, and worms burrow down below the frost line.

wrong

https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/do ... ve-winter/

Right.

Other earthworms, such as the common night crawler can survive winter conditions by burrowing deep into the soil, below the frost line (the level below the soil surface in which groundwater freezes). That distance varies based on different parts of the county, ranging from zero to six feet in the coldest regions. Yet safely below the frost line, they live out the winter in small cavities or chambers.

That statement you picked up on is specific to red wigglers. Night crawlers are invasive in North America, but native in Europe. They are known as the common earthworm in the UK.

[lpm]

Worms are weird in America. They were eradicated by ice sheets. Pre-Columbian native worms were spreading steadily northwards since the end of the ice ages, but didn't get that far, relatively. Then along came Europeans who brought loads of UK/European earthworms to random places along the east coast.

How? In barrels. The volume of tobacco being shipped out was enormous and returning ships brought the barrels back loaded with earth and rubble for ballast. Plus they arrived in root balls. Without native earthworms as competition, the invasive worms spread out from these east coast locations.

And they also fly to new locations. How? They are used as bait by fishermen, so are now carried very long distances in cars, and zooming along above ground for miles must seem like flying for worms. Some manage to escape their captors. They also hitchhike on muddy vehicles, particularly in forests where logging is taking place. As a result, worms can be said to be great travellers across continents.

There are still places in the US and Canada without any earthworms and they are trying to prevent their arrival. I think Asian earthworms have now invaded as well.

[plodder]

I'd imagine that post glacial tilth is a nice substrate for a worm, too. Lots of wriggle room and fresh air to stop it from overheating due to its lack of feathers.

[plodder]

A feathered worm would of course make an excellent fishing lure. This is probably why they went extinct - too successful for their own good.

[JQH]

What about feathered wyrms?

[dyqik]

Worms are weird in America. They were eradicated by ice sheets. Pre-Columbian native worms were spreading steadily northwards since the end of the ice ages, but didn't get that far, relatively. Then along came Europeans who brought loads of UK/European earthworms to random places along the east coast.

How? In barrels. The volume of tobacco being shipped out was enormous and returning ships brought the barrels back loaded with earth and rubble for ballast. Plus they arrived in root balls. Without native earthworms as competition, the invasive worms spread out from these east coast locations.

And they also fly to new locations. How? They are used as bait by fishermen, so are now carried very long distances in cars, and zooming along above ground for miles must seem like flying for worms. Some manage to escape their captors. They also hitchhike on muddy vehicles, particularly in forests where logging is taking place. As a result, worms can be said to be great travellers across continents.

There are still places in the US and Canada without any earthworms and they are trying to prevent their arrival. I think Asian earthworms have now invaded as well.

The last couple of years we've had jumping worms invading and taking over.

[Bird on a Fire]

Worms don't need insulation because they aren't homeothermic. The hairs on many caterpillars and moths are for defence and/or sensory apparatus, not insulation.

[Stranger Mouse]

General dinosaur news

New Apple / Attenborough TV series

https://twitter.com/appletvplus/status/ ... PFMaQoc3IA

New David Hone book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Dinosau ... 194&sr=8-1