SEA CUCUMBER
The sea cucumber’s slothlike speed should make
it easy prey. But this bottom-feeder possesses a
secret weapon. When under threat by, say, a crab,
some sea cucumber species shoot out their guts—
their intestines and respiratory tracts, and even
their reproductive organs!—from their anuses.
Believe it or not, certain predators find this
appetizing. As they dig in, the sea cucumber hides
under a rock or in the sand and plots its escape.
Going on with life after you’ve literally spilled your
guts isn’t easy, and afterward the sea cucumber
finds itself in a kind of suspended animation for
a few months, regenerating its organs and getting
ready to escape the next unsuspecting crab.rd.com 99BOMBARDIER BEETLE
HORNED LIZARD
The horned lizard,
found wandering drier
climates from Arizona
to Guatemala, is a tasty
morsel. The morsel in
question, however, has
a neat trick to fend off
hawks, snakes, canines,
and other hunters:
It shoots blood from
ducts in the corners
of its eyes into the eyes
and mouths of stunned
predators, allowing the
lizard to make a hasty
retreat. The blood
can travel up to four
feet and is thought to
contain a substance
that’s unpleasant for
dogs and coyotes.
This creature gets its name honestly: It fends off attackers by bombing them
with chemicals hot enough to burn human skin. The flying half-inch beetle
has two separate glands. One contains hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone,
which also can be engineered in a lab and used commercially as a skin-
bleaching agent. The other harbors a mixture of enzymes. When the contents
of the two glands are mixed, they create a chemical that can reach a tempera-
ture of 212 degrees F. This combination is then shot out from a remarkably
accurate nozzle-like opening located on the rear of the beetle’s abdomen, an
action it can repeat up to 20 times in a row before running out of ammunition.
Fascinating Facts