Jumping Into the Limelight?

Jumping spiders don't make webs. As their name suggests, they leap on their prey. A current total of 17 non-native jumping spiders, have recently found their way into the UK. Now, a tiny jumping spider, new to science, has recently been discovered on Exeter University's Penryn Campus in Cornwall (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/26/new-species-of-jumping-spider-found-on-university-campus-in-cornwall). This new spider's closest relatives appear to live in the distant Caribbean. It seems highly likely that these exotic spiders have entered the UK on imported material. The country's milder winters and warmer summers, may also improve their chances of establishing breeding populations here.

Climate Change Washing Up on UK Shores?

The UK's recent 'washout winter' seems likely to reduce the agricultural sector's yields of wheat; barley; oats and oil seed rape by some 20%. These losses will inevitably increase the prices of beer; bread and biscuits (shock, horror!). It will also necessitate the country having to increase its food imports, to make up the shortfalls (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/29/washout-winter-spells-price-rises-for-uk-shoppers-with-key-crops-down-by-a-fifth). Recent declines in inflation are, consequently, likely to stall. Higher food prices, mean higher living costs. The impact is, of course, highest on the poorest. Climate change may also alter the economic 'weather'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 26. Axolotl

The Axolotl was named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning. He could take the form of a salamander. Xolotl was associated with dogs and 'atl' is ancient Aztec for 'water'. So Axolotl is sometimes translated as 'water dog'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 25. Chimpanzee

The English word 'Chimpanzee' is derived from Vili 'cimpenze' or Tshiluba language 'chimpenze'. Both mean 'ape' or 'mockman'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 24. Ostrich

The Ostrich gets its generic name 'Struthio' from the Greek word 'strouthion'. This means 'big sparrow'. Perhaps, they only saw them from a distance?

Plant Pest Plagues?

Phytosanitary measures are essential for reducing the probability of importing plant diseases to crops and natural environments. Some countries, such as New Zealand and Chile, have closed testing systems. Plants can only be imported, when they have been shown to be free of disease agents. The EU, however, operates more open system, where Plants can be imported unless they are known to be harmful. Between 2005 and 2014, 30 billion rooted and unrooted plants, cuttings, bulbs and plant tissues were imported, into Europe, from so-called Third countries. Most of these came in via Dutch ports. Since Brexit, the UK (now a Third country) has hardly had a phytosanitary system. Testing has constantly been deferred so as not to slow imports (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/24/plant-apocalypse-how-deadly-imported-diseases-are-destroying-eu-trees-and-crops-aoe). The EU has recently had lots of plant diseases. Italian olive groves have been decimated by Xylella fastidiosa. This bacterium probably arrived on ornamental coffee trees from Latin America, passing through the Netherlands. The cost is around 1 billion euros. Diseases are also raging in citris trees, carrots, celery and Ash. Global heating might well be facilitating the spread of plant diseases. These 'plagues' make it highly unlikely that a) EU farmers can increase their yields in response to population growth and b) the EU can reverse its biodiversity losses. Perhaps EU phytosanitary regulations need to be more draconian? The UK has the 'Brexit freedom' of being able to introduce a closed phytosanitary system. This will make importing slower but it would be safer. Similar considerations also clearly apply to the importation of animal products.

What's In a Critter's Name? 23. Armadillo

The name 'Armadillo' is simply derived from a Spanish word, meaning "little armoured one".

What's In a Critter's Name? 22. Elephant hawk-moth

The pink Elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) imago (adult), looks nothing like a pachyderm. Its larva, however, was thought to resemble an elephant's trunk.

What's In a Critter's Name? 21. Duckbilled platypus

The platypus part of this Monotreme's (egg-laying Mammal) name is from Ancient Greek. 'Platus' means 'flat' and a 'pous' is a 'foot'. So, 'platupous' means 'flat-footed', which is certainly true of the paddles of this beast.

Avian 'Flu Flying In?

People get zoonotic diseases from other animals. There are, consequently, concerns, when a virus increases its range of hosts. This is especially the case when they move into animals closer to humans. This is what happened with Covid19. The highly-virulent H5N1 strain of bird 'flu has been found in Peru's Sea lions and Russia's Caspian seals. Devi Sridhar (University of Edinburgh) has now noted that H5N1 is currently spreading in the USA's cattle populations (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/26/us-cows-bird-flu-covid-pandemic-global-governments). The H5N1 strain of bird 'flu has been found across 8 US states, in 33 herds of cattle. It seems very likely that cow-to-cow transmission is occurring. Infected cows are relatively unsymptomatic. The scale of cattle viral transmission may consequently be a gross underestimate. This virus has clearly also spread to dairy cattle. Twenty percent of recently tested US milk samples, have traces of H5N1 (https://time.com/6971400/bird-flu-virus-milk/). Pasteurisation seems to effectively kill the agent but not all milk gets this treatment. At least one US farm worker has contracted the disease, suggesting that a jump of this virus to humans, is almost inevitable. In the US, plans for dealing with a new human pandemic are being finalised. Sridhar is concerned, however, as folk in other parts of the world appear to be largely ignoring this potential threat. The UK is not even testing its cattle.

What's In a Critter's Name? 20. Otter

The word 'otter' derives from the Old English word 'otor' or 'oter' This, and similar words, stem from the Proto-Indo-European root 'wodr'. 'Wodr' also gave rise to the English word 'water'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 19. Elephant

Around 1300, this pachyderm was described, in Middle English, as an 'olyfaunt'. The word had been borrowed from the Old French 'oliphant'. It then 'mutated' into 'elephant'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 18. Zebra

The origin of the name, 'Zebra', is thought to be the Latin 'equiferus', meaning 'wild horse'.

Black Spot?

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer, that kills circa 132,000 people globally each year. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines now seem to offer personalised cancer vaccine treatments for melanoma sufferers. A sample of tumour is surgically removed from the patient. This is then DNA sequenced and Artificial Intelligence used to identify the sample's neoantigens. Neoantigens are markers on tumour cells, that can be potentially recognised by the patient's immune system. Custom-built mRNA vaccines, coding for up to 32 neoantigens, can then be produced for each patient. These are given, along side Keytruda immunotherapy (a booster for the immune system). In theory, cancer cells can be recognised and destroyed anywhere in the patient's body. Preliminary data appears very promising and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is about to enter Phase 3 (final tests, before therapy is approved) trials. Throughout the UK, selected NHS hospitals, will produce data on more than a thousand patients for a full evaluation (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/26/cancer-mrna-vaccine-melanoma-trial). mRNA vaccines, of course, came to prominence as providing treatments for Covid19 infections. Personalised mRNA vaccines are also being tested for lung, bladder and kidney cancers. It seems the way to go but it won't come cheap! Early diagnosis is important for even such hi-tech therapies to work.

Seeing the Changes 2017

An Angle shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) moth inflated its wings in my Loughor garden.

What's In a Critter's Name? 17. Goose barnacle

Nobody had ever seen a migratory Barnacle goose nest or lay eggs. Folk, consequently, decided they must emerge, by spontaneous generation, from Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera), attached to the wooden hulls of sailing ships. This edible crustacean effectively got its name, because its shell looks a little like the goose's head.

What's In a Critter's Name? 16. Turkey

Although the Turkey originated in America, its was named after the Eurasian country. This was because folk thought it resembled another bird, nicknamed the 'turkey-cock', imported, at that time, from Turkey.

What's In a Critter's Name? 15. Orangutan

In the Malay language, Orangutan, means 'man of the forest'.

Seeing the Changes 2016

Further flowers in Bynea. Pineapple mayweed (Chamomilla suaveolens) and feral Cultivated apple (Malus domestica) put in appearances.

What's In a Critter's Name? 14. Chipmunk

This mammal's common name may have originally been 'chitmunk'. It was, perhaps, derived from the native Odawa (Ottawa) word 'jidmoonh' meaning a 'red squirrel'.

What's In a Critter's Name? 13. Koala bear

The Aboriginal name for the 'Koala' is 'Koolah'. It's not, of course, a bear but Europeans thought it resembled one.

What's In a Critter's Name? 12. Wallaby

The term 'wallaby' is derived from the word 'walabi' or 'waliba', coming from the Eora Aboriginal people of New South Wales.