BIOL 1902 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Autotomy, Skink, Vespidae

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL 1902
• Professor: Michael Runtz

Document Summary

Startle patterns have another function, when they fail and the animal is under attack, they are used as distraction patterns to divert/deflect the attack elsewhere, to another, non-vital part of the body. Some skinks have coloured tails to deflect the attack of the predator to the tail, which is expendable. (the skink is capable of autotomy) Deflection/distraction structures: structures that catch predators attention so that they get sacrificed" to deflect the predators attack from other vital parts of the body. Autotomy: being able to discard a body part and growing it back. Body structure itself can be used for defense (body armor). Beetles, turtles, snails, clams (bivalves: two halves of the shells) etc. The shells of snails are made of calcium. Beetles are capable of pulling their limbs into the grooves on their underside to make them less vulnerable. Turtles and snails, when frightened, retreat into their shell.