make a list of 43 things i know very little about, and then learn at least 3 things about each of them

actually stretch marks are a symptom of the disorder I just wrote about, so it DOES explain why I am plagued.

According to one site though, this form of EDS, doesn’t always have much of an affect on the skin, which would explain how my cousin’s skin is so perfect despite the fact that she might have this, as well. However, according to one site I was on, it said the various forms may overlap, so I could have a few symptoms from other forms, as well.

And apparently myopia is even a sign of this disorder. Of course, myopia is common, anyway, but yeah, I have that, too.

I don’t know where else to put this. I swear, I know this will make me sound like a hypochondriac, but I honestly just read about a disorder that I TRULY believe I may very likely have. I may not have it, but I think there is a decent probability that I do. It’s not serious, though. Anyway, I really think I have the hypermobility variant of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

I was looking up “double jointed fingers guitar” because I think my double jointed fingers are gonna give me problems with the guitar. It turns out, others have had similar problems. I never really considered my double jointed fingers to be a handicap until I was older. Before, they were just something that made me different, and I thought they were unique, and allowed me to do things that others could not do. I liked them. When I got older, I did think perhaps they were unattractive to men, as I discovered more and more of them had a fetish for hands. But I made peace with them and remembered why I liked them.

I did note that typing was more difficult because my fingers wanted to move off the home keys, and I thought my fingers hypermobility might be responsible, but people told me I typed fast, despite my two fingered technique, so it didn’t pose a real problem. I just type loudly.

Eventually, I discovered that continuing to bend a joint a certain way- in an abnormal way- could weaken it. Bending my finger backwards till the tip touched the back of my hand never hurt as a child. I never moved the others around much because they couldn’t do anything quite as cool. Well I did make claws of them sort of, but I didn’t bend the others as much. With age, I noticed bending that one finger all the way back started to hurt a bit more, was a little stiffer, etc. and I thought it was because I hadn’t been doing it as much, but maybe it was because I’d already done it SO much.

I played a little piano as a kid, and that was all well and good, I suppose. I never seemed to be hurt by the double jointed fingers. I would have thought their extra flexibility would be an asset, instead of a hindrance, but while I can bend them in ways you prob. can’t, there are ways that your fingers naturally move, that mine will not. So, it’s a trade off. My fingers don’t seem to lay on the strings of my ghuitar right. I’ve read some guitar teachers online saying their double jointed students had twice as much trouble learning the guitar due to what is apparently a handicap of sorts. This depresses me. I also found this on a website- “Students with double-jointed fingers should avoid selecting flute as double-jointedness can cause lack of agility in the fingers.” I found that here- http://www.saiedmusic.com/band/index.htm

Anyway, if it does affect my agility, then what instrument won’t that affect?!

On a plus note, one person did say they could spread their fingers further apart on the guitar due to the double joints, and that was beneficial. Score one for the crooked fingered team.

Anyway, I looked up something else about double jointedness and found the wiki article on “Hypermobility.” It spoke of a hypermobility syndrome that is a part of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which they also had an article on. I truly think I may have this.

According to this wiki hypermobility article (which can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermobility )-

Hypermobility itself (not the syndrome) may come ”...with no other symptoms or medical conditions. However, people with hypermobility syndrome may experience many difficulties. For example, their joints may be easily injured, be more prone to complete dislocation due to the weakly stabilized joint and they may develop problems from muscle overuse (as muscles must work harder to compensate for the excessive weakness in the ligaments that support the joints).

Hypermobility may also be symptomatic of a serious medical condition, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, osteogenesis imperfecta, lupus, polio, downs syndrome, morquio syndrome, cleidocranial dysostosis or myotonia congenita.

In addition, hypermobility has been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.”

As for the Hypermobility syndrome- “Hypermobility syndrome is considered by many doctors expert in hypermobility (e.g. Professor Rodney Grahame) to be equivalent to the Hypermobile Type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.”

And

“It affects more females than males.”<- Well, this doesn’t mean I have it, but I am more likely to have it.

Anyway,

The current diagnostic criteria for hypermobility syndrome are the Brighton criteria, which incorporates the Beighton score¹.

People with hypermobility syndrome may develop other conditions caused by their lax connective tissues. These conditions include:

1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
3. Varicose Veins
4. Flat feet, pronated feet, plantar fasciitis or sesamoiditis and unsupportive shoes
5. Idiopathic scoliosis
6. Joint instability causing frequent sprains, tendinitis, or bursitis when doing activities that would not affect the normal individual.
7. Early-onset osteoarthritis
8. There is evidence linking hypermobility syndrome to anxiety and depression. 2
9. Subluxations or dislocations, especially in the shoulder.
10. Knee pain
11. Back pain, prolapsed discs or spondylolisthesis
12. Hernias
13. Bruising easily
14. Worsening of symptoms in cold weather
15. Joints that make clicking noises
16. Headaches
17. Susceptibility to whiplash
18. Temperomandibular Joint Syndrome also known as TMJ
19. Increased nerve compression disorders (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome)
20. Mitral valve prolapse
21. Uterine prolapse
22. FLU [Formal Larinal Usekretinals]
23. Separated Pubic Symphysis
24. postural tachicardia syndrome secondary to joint hypermobility syndrome”

Double jointedness runs in my family. My mother has GERD (#1 on the above list) as does my uncle, and though I was not officially tested for it, due to my symptoms and my mother having it, the doctor thought I had it, as well. So, they think I have #1. They also think I have #2, but I refuse testing. I do have IBS symtpoms. Stomach probs. run in the family. I don’t have 3 bad, but I do have some stupid veins here and there that both me. I mean, I’m not covered, and I thought I just hadn’t been active enough, which is prob. the truth, so #3 may not be relevant. I don’t know much about the feet conditions, but my feet are somewhat flat, I think. So maybe sort of #4. I don’t think I have 5, but it is in my family. My spine curves in a messed up way, but it is prob. due to poor posture and I don’t think it curves like the scoliosis type does. Um, #6….I don’t know. I sprained my foot to the point that it was messed up bad for years, but is much better now, but my right calf muscle has given me probs even before this, which is odd and might be relevant, but I haven’t had too much issues with #6 in general. #7. I don’t know. I hope not. #8. I have anxiety and depression (dysthymia included- so there is that chronic element) and it runs in the family. #9. No. #10. Not really. #11. Maybe a bit, but could be due to my weird spine shape, size of my breasts, not exercising, etc. Yet, people in my family have issues with this. #12. No. #13. Yeah, but there is that blood issue that might be to blame. #14. Yes. I thought this happened to everyone with joint issues, though. Hmmm…. #15. Yes. I complained that I sound like an old woman. My joints click like crazy. #16. Not bad headaches, but yes. This runs in the family, as well. #17. Never had whiplash, BUT I noted before that I seem to pull my neck muscles easily or jerk them suddenly in painful ways. #18. I think I have a touch of TMJ. I think this may be familial to some degree, but unsure. Anyway, I was planning on asking my dentist about it. It comes and goes. #19. I don’t have carpal tunnel, at least, as far as I know. #20. I do have MVP. #21. I do not have uterine prolapse, but it is in my family. I do not know what #22 or #23 are. #24- I don’;t have this specificually, but I do have a type of unexplained tachicardia, but it is in the sinus region and I think it is related to the anxiety.

So, basically, to summarize- not counting what runs in the family- besides the hypermobility, which I do have, I also have the GERD, the IBS, a little bit of varicose veins (possibly unrelated, though, and not bad), somewhat flat feet (but not extreme), possible joint instability, anxiety and depression, mild back pain, easy bruising, worsening of symptoms when the weather is cold, clicking sound in joints, mild headaches, easily pulled neck muscles (figure this may go with the whiplash part), likely TMJ (comes and goes), Mitral valve prolapse, and tachichardia, but not the listed form.

Anyway, according to the Ehlres-Danlos article (here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehlers-Danlos_Syndrome)-

“Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of rare genetic disorders affecting humans and domestic animals caused by a defect in collagen synthesis.”

This could explain my issue with thinking my breasts sag, esp. since I have pseudo-ptosis and not regular ptosis. I think I read that the pseudo-ptosis can be a genetic issue.

Yet, I’d think people lacking collagen would look older and many members of that side of my family (the double jointed side) look dramatically younger than they are.

Before, I was so impressed with the flexibility of my ancestors and older family members, along with health and longevity, that I thought double jointedness was a blessing, but this doesn’t sound so good anymore. Hmmm….

Also, this second article says, the Hypermobility variant of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-

”....in the most common type of EDS, Hypermobility Type, symptoms often include unstable, flexible joints with a painful tendency to dislocate and subluxate. This is due to ligaments which, because they are lacking proper collagen-the molecule that provides strength to ligaments-are overly stretchable. The so-called Classic EDS Type features skin that forms cigarette-paper-like scars. Another type of collagen is usually responsible for lending strength to skin (and scars). “

This would actually make people look younger, and explain why my double jointed cousin on this side of the family, has had a child, but has no stretch marks. This could explain that, but it does not explain (IF I have the syndrome) why I DO have stretch marks and seem to get them easily, as though they were a terrible plague. Oddly, one place where I get them has dramatically less on the left side of my body, than the right, and I never understood that…..at all.

Hypermobility is type 3, as far as I gathered and, ”...it is the only type of EDS that cannot be diagnosed through skin / tissue samples but is rather diagnosed through use of clinical observations. Symptoms can include easy bruising, velvety-smooth skin, mildly hyperextensible skin, and loose, unstable joints. Joint dislocations and subluxations are common. Degenerative joint disease can occur; the pain associated with this condition is a serious complication. Unfortunately, pain medications are frequently underprescribed. Some individuals have mitral valve prolapse, which creates an increased risk for infective endocarditis during surgery, particularly dental surgery, as well as possibly progressing to a life-threatening degree of severity of the prognosis of mitral valve prolapse.”

As for velvety smooth skin, I didn’t think it was that smooth, but I have recently had someone tell me that my skin was unusually smooth. I think it is terrible skin, but eh. I think I have this. I really do.

What it is:

A form of cannibalism (a species eating another/others of the same species) in which the female, or rarely, the male, eats the other before, during, or after mating.

What creatures do it:

It has been seen in arachnids, insects and amphipods. You are probably the most familiar with it happening in the black widow spider, and in praying mantises. Although, unproven, some evidence suggests gastropods and copepods may also practice this. While most people think of spiders when they hear the word arachnid, this class consists of all of the following- spiders, opiliones (harvestmen), ticks, mites, and scorpions. Oh, and it has been observed in people, but is rare, and considered a sign of some psychological problem(s).

Why is it done:

Honestly, from what I can tell no one is completely sure and there doesn’t appear to be one single reason. However, here are some suggestions. The male could provide nutrition for the female, increasing her fertility whether he has mated with her or not. The male may be increasing his chances of passing on his genes by allowing her to eat him, such as in the case of the redback spider, that is able to fertilize more of the females eggs by allowing himself to be eaten by her. It may also factor into natural selection, as males who are eaten prior to mating do not pass on their genes. I read on one site that mantises may choose which males to eat and which to mate with, as well as at what point during mating to eat the male, possibly allowing her some control over who fathers her children. Others think it may sometimes simply be a side effect of aggressiveness, intense hunger, or even mistaken identity. In some slugs, a special kind of sexual cannibalism exists, where one or both of the slugs sometimes chews off the genitals of the other after mating. Sometimes a banana slug chews off its own penis. I will address reasons for that later.

Apophallation (what I would consider a for of sexual cannibalism):

This is a special type of sexual cannibalism in which a slug (which, by the way, are hermaphroditic) chews off the penis of another slug (or sometimes even their own) after mating. The main reason I have seen listed for this is that due to slugs (not sure about all of them) having long corkscrew like penises, being covered in sticky slime, etc., it is sometimes hard to separate after sex, and their penises may become stuck, so they are chewed off. However, on one site, someone had posted a video (I did not watch the video due to a slow connection) and information about banana slugs and how (in the video) one had a normal mating session, the other left its penis intact, but it couldn’t retract its own penis back in, so it chewed it off. To me, the picture of a banana slug penis, did not make it look that much like a screw (a little twirled or bent, but not much), though, so I’m confused.

Anyway, one site had mentioned that “….according to Adrian Forsyth, author of A Natural History of Sex. The apophallated slug, says Forsyth, ‘cannot regrow his penis and is now obligated to be a female and forced to offer eggs. It may be that the castrator can raise his reproductive success by increasing locally the density of females.’” (Note: I tried to add the address here, but the litte squiggle throws the system off. Go down to Lycaeum in the address at the bottom for the address.) Now, since at least the banana slugs (not sure about others) both penetrate and fertilize one another, the hermaphroditic banana slug offers eggs as often as the female ones. So I think the term “forced to offer eggs” is misleading if all these snails both penetrate and fertilize each other, anyway. Although, perhaps some do not. Perhaps some times one plays a female role and one a male. I’m not sure and need to research that more. However, even if they do both fertilize one another’s ova, cutting down on the ability of some to fertilize others, by making them female, would increase the hermaphrodites chances of fertilizing more females since it would have less competition. I think perhaps this is what he meant. That is insightful, I think.

Also, I was wondering how or when the penis came out of the vaginal opening or sperm tract or whatever you call it. I know in some species a plug is inserted into this to keep other males from mating with the female and fertilizing her eggs in place of the first mate. If slugs do this double mating thing, maybe this could insure that the one initially mating gets more eggs fertilized by their own sperm. I do not know if slugs do this however, and didn’t read this anywhere. I’m just wondering about it. I’d have to do more research to know.

According to the afore mentioned site, “Slug scientist Albert Mead has suggested that apophallation may be nature’s way of maintaining the species. After all, he writes, in other animal species, gigantism has been a precursor to extinction. Only by submitting to the shears can banana slugs maintain their inordinate organs.” While I think gigantism is normally used to refer to abnormal height growth, in this case, I’m sure we’re talking about the unusual penis size of slugs, who apparently, are freakishly endowed.

Sexual Cannibalism in people as a symptom of (a) psychological problem(s):

Although rare, people have been known to commit acts of sexually driven or sexualized cannibalism. This is not the norm and is considered a sign of psychological illness. However, I am not sure if one could consider those who simply harbor sexualized cannibalism fantasies, as mentally ill, if they would ever act upon them. I suppose that would be debatable.

According to wikipedia, “Vorarephilia (or vore) is a paraphilia where arousal occurs from the idea of being eaten whole and alive, eating another alive, or watching this process. The fantasy may include digestion, which may be imagined to be painless.” I was wondering what one would call it if they desired to be eaten after death. I also wanted to research this name more, so I searched for it off of wiki and found something on a site called the Bigpedia. It stated, “Vorarephilia is the interest/sexual fetish in which a person fantasizes about eating another person and/or creature, or being eaten. Preferences vary, but most prefer to fantasize about being devoured whole and alive. Those who prefer to be torn, chewed, and killed are often referred to as ‘shreddies’.” Upon further research, I have discovered people into this sometimes call themselves “vores” and stories, fantasies, and pictures related to being swallowed whole and alive is sometimes known as “soft vore” or “smooth vore” and the ones involving being torn, chewed, killed, etc. is sometimes referred to as “hard vore.” A play on the terms “hard core” and “soft core” used in porn, I’m assuming.

Usually, these fantasies remain fantasies. However, sometimes people actually engage in this. Normally, the people we hear of are serial killers taking unwanted victims. A recent case of what some argues was a consensual case of (Arguably sexualized if you read enough about the case) cannibalism occurred in Germany. Armin Meiwes scoured the internet searching for a victim, and he explained in internet postings that he wished to kill and consume another man, and described the type he was looking for. A man named Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes responded and later, at Meiwes’ home, after being given a lot of pain killers and alcohol, Meiwes videotaped what he did to Brandes which involved cutting off his penis and eating it while he was alive. Brandes apparently tried to eat part of the penis, too, but could not eat it raw, as it was too tough. So, Meiwes prepared it to make it easier to eat, and after doing so, I do not think it is clear whether Brandes ate any or not, but Meiwes did. Afterwards, Meiwes killed Brandes and ate him over a period of time, keeping some of him in storage until he was finished. Apparently Meiwes did have nude pictures of Brandes which were used as evidence against him at his trial, along with the videotape of the events. While Brandes apparently did consent, it could be argued that he was not psychologically competent enough to consent. For one thing, you could argue that his agreeing to this demonstrated severe psychological problems. Also, at the time of the actual act, he had consumed pills and alcohol. According to wikipedia he had taken pain killers and alcohol to one article, “he had taken “20 sleeping pills, a bottle of Vicks cold relief and schnapps” (see the Free Republic link below).

How some animals try to avoid being eaten in sexual cannibalism:

Apparently not all of the males of all species in which this sexual cannibalism takes place, are willing. For example, it is believed now that praying mantises may try to avoid this. During an experiment where the hunger and physical positioning of the female was changed (hungrier females and those facing the males were a greater risk, since hunger might drive them to attack and eat the male, and a face to face position makes it easier for her to attack the male, using her front legs) and the males seemed able to assess greater risks as they became more cautious in such situations. For example, males seemed more eager to approach a female for mating if she was full, than if she was hungry. When faced with a greater risk for being eaten, the males approached differently. Some tactics males took, were approaching the female more slowly, increasing their courtship behavior, mounting from a greater distance (possibly to avoid being grabbed as easily), and took longer to dismount, perhaps fearing they would be grabbed.

Sometimes golden orb spiders jumping on females that are in the process of dining on something else. If they live through mating with the female, there are other ways they can guard over her and run away other males who might want to mate with her.

Wikipedia mentions other forms of avoiding cannibalism that are used in different species. Some spiders prefer to mate with females while they are moulting since this makes cannibalism a physical impossibility. Some spiders will offer the female a meal before mating with her, and then try to finish mating before she finishes her meal, in the hopes she will be too busy dining on it, to dine on them. On such spider is the nursery web spider. Other spiders- and also mantids- will wait until the female catches prey to eat on, before they approach her for mating. Some spiders have specialized jaws that they use to hold open the jaws of females, possibly to keep them from snacking on them while they are mating. In scorpions, the male may sting the female during mating. I suppose this could be to temporarily paralyze or stun her so that they have a chance to escape before she attacks them. In black widows and crab spiders, the males often use silk to restrain the females before mating, possibly to prevent her from eating them.

At this site, it mentions the male jumping spiders attempts to avoid being eaten, but since they have requested no one use or copy their work without permission, I will no quote them here. You can read about it here instead-

http://ib.berkeley.edu/courses/ib160/past_papers/suttle.html

More information:

According to one study, that 63% of the diet of the female Chinese mantids, was composed of the male of the species, making them her main source of food.

While mating, male Australian redback spiders actually throw themselves onto the females fangs, mating with her as she eats him. Some come back to mate a second time after crawling away for a bit, even though this will mean their death. If he returns and mates again, he gets extra time to mate with her. Apparently males who are cannibalized get to mate twice as long and have extra time to properly insert a plug in her sperm receptacle to keep other males from mating with her and beating his sperm out of fertilizing her eggs. Also, if the female redback eats the male, most of them will refuse to mate with another male. Males who do this second mating produce twice as many offspring in that mating, in compensation for their lives. Red backs actually have a mechanism that allows them to survive this cannibalism longer so they can mate for an extended amount of time.

The male, in a type of orb weaving spider, actually dies suddenly during mating. Its sexual organ becomes stuck in her sperm receptacle, preventing her from receiving competing sperm. He female may dine on the body afterwards, giving her and the offspring more nutrition.

Cannabilism in mantids is almost universal, and the females may rip the males head off and eats it while he is still mating. She then continues to eat the rest of him, aside from the wings.

Some places where I read about this, and collected information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_cannibalism

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/06/healthscience/snbugs.php

http://bio.research.ucsc.edu/grad/weaver/Pages/project.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorarephilia

http://www.bigpedia.com/encyclopedia/Vore

http://furry.wikia.com/wiki/Voraphile

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3286721.stm

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/14/1073877901829.html

http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/serialkillers/meiwes.htm

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1069388/posts

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/uocp-mpm072606.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/science/05cann.html?ex=1315108800&en=257189353ea6400f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_freeman_evol_3/0,8018,849500-,00.html

http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/IB/faculty/mueller/384K/sexual_cannibalism.pdf.pdf

http://ib.berkeley.edu/courses/ib160/past_papers/suttle.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism#Sexually_motivated_cannibalism

Lycaeum: The problem address is here. Starts “http://users.lycaeum.org/” Then has a squiggle which I cannot post. It will not show and it changes the font. After the first part I posted, add the squiggle, then “sputnik/apophallation.html”

A more scientific way to say “Virgin Birth,” is Parthenogenesis. The word parthenogenesis comes from two Greek words. Parthos, meaning virgin, and Genesis meaning creation.

It is a type of reproduction in which an ovum or seed develops without fertilization. The ovum duplicates chromosomes on its own.

Parthenogenesis is a natural occurance in certain species of lower plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. Parthenogenesis has never occoured naturally in mammals, as far as modern science is aware. However, there are some religious beliefs in various virgin births. Some Pagans, Muslims, and Christians all hold such beliefs. Probably the most well known of these is the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, which some Christians and Muslims believe in.

Parthenogenesis can be caused in mammals with the use of an electric or chemical stimulus. However, this does not work so well in humans and has not been successful in producing surviving human embryos.

In parthenogenesis, only one sex chromosome can be passed on and duplicated in offspring, so they can only be of a single gender. If the female of the species is the one with like chromosomes, and the male has unlike chromosomes, (ex.- XX is female and XY is male) then all of the offspring will be female. If the male of the species is the one with the like chromosomes, and the female has unlike chromosomes, (ex.- WZ is female and ZZ is male) then the offspring will all be male.

The offspring produced by parthenogenesis may be comprised of siblings that are all genetically different from one another, but if the species is one that produces all females from parthenogenesis and this parthenogen (offspring of parthenogenesis) repeats the cycle of parthenogenesis, then her offspring will all be genetically identical to one another, since parthenogens are homozygous, meaning they have two identical genes affecting a given trait.

Offspring resulting from parthenogenesis may be referred to as “parthenogens.” These parthenogens may reproduce sexually, in certain species. This switching back and forth between parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction is called heterogamy.

Depending on the species in question, parthenogens can be haploid (normal amount of chromosomes) or diploid (chromosomally doubled).

Most species that practice parthenogenesis, do so only part time, and reproduce sexually the rest of the time.

Some creatures that have been known to reproduce this way at least part time-

Some members of the following- Rotifers, water fleas, aphids, bees, parasitic wasps, reptiles (notably, as of recent times, the Komodo Dragon), amphibians, fish (including rare cases of this in sharks, also recently discovered), scorpions, and birds (also rarely).

In gynogenesis offspring are produced in the same way as parthenogenesis, but the egg must first be stimulated by sperm, but the sperm doesn’t contribute any genetic material. Gynogenetic species do not contain males, so the females must mate with a male of a closely related species in order to activate the eggs and get them to develop. Some salamanders are gynogenetic. In these salamanders, there is an occasional actual sexual fertilization of an egg by a male, but it is very rare.

I need to get back into this. I’m tired of not exercising my brain lately.

Okay, so I decided to see if I could find interesting facts out about the grand daddy long legs. Only, I discovered that sveral things are called grand daddy long legs and NONE of the ones that I have seen look anything like myb grand dadddy long legs at all. So, what is mine? Okay go to this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvestman
It shows the harvestmen which are sometimes called grand daddy long legs. In this article are also links to these other two creatures which are also called daddy long legs. They are the crane fly-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly
and the cellar spider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_long-legs_spider
Now the local kind if not the crane fly or cellar spider. It MIGHT be the harvest man by looking at the photos on this site:
http://departments.ozarks.edu/zooweb/new_page_1.htm
BUT I am not sure because I am a little creeped out by them so I don’t get right up on them and I haven’t magnified one either, but the ones around here look like a little itty bitty brown ball with long hair thin legs. So, if they actually are the creature in the last photo, I have been missing details, I’ll tell you that. So, what is the local grand daddy long legs, if not these? There is also another local spider which looks like a grand daddy from a distance, but not up close. I don’t know what it is, either, but I want to know what we’re calling a grand daddy long legs, most of all. Oh, one last thing- I just showed the last picture to my cousin who has actually held the local ones and she says this is not an picture of them, which I didn’t think it was. Any ideas?

1. There are 20 species of armadillos, most of which are endangered or threatened.

2. When the nine-banded armadillo gives birth, it is always to 4 identical quadruplets, of the same gender, that grow from the same egg and share the same placenta.

3. Armadillo’s like to swim and are skilled at it. They can swim up to two miles without stopping for rest. They also sometimes move underwater by walking across the bottoms of streams, ponds, and smaller bodies of water. They can hold their breath for aprox. 4 to 6 minutes. They swim across larger bodies of water, but because they have heavy shells, they have to inflate their intestines or stomachs (saw stomach on one site and instines on another) with air by taking large gulps of it, in order to stay afloat.

4. The three-banded armadillo is the only species of armadillo capable of rolling itself into a ball for protection. The other species have too many hard boney plates composing their armored shells, to be able to do this.

5. According to wikipedia, they are recorded to be the animals with the most REM sleep (I’m not sure if that includes humans).

6. Armadillos can get leprosy.

7. Some Texas towns hold beauty pagents for this animal.

8. Some female armadillos have given birth up to 2 years after being in captivity away from males. Armadillo’s have the ability to keep their fertilized egg from implanting during times of stress and can pause the process.

I got all of this information from two sites, but find it so interesting that I intend to look at even more sites, for more information on the armadillo. Oh, and here are the two sites:

http://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/index.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo