Laboratory mice are special breeds of house mice and are used in many scientific experiments because of their close mammalian relationship to humans. Compared to larger mammals, mice and other rodents are small, easy to handle, inexpensive to house, and breed quickly. During the late 20th Century (and on into the current century), scientists bred different strains of mice with genetic deficiencies in order to produce models for human diseases.
Toxic nudibranchs soft, seagoing slugs, produce a brilliant defense. Click on photo for more
Worm snake is the common name sometimes given to several of snakes. They share the characteristics of small size, primarily subterranean habitat, non-functioning or small eyes, and varying resemblance to earthworms. Many are also known as Blind snakes, the alternative common name. The worm snake is indeed a snake although there are myths of it possibly being a lizard with very tiny legs. There are also myths of the worm snake possibly being the offspring of a male snake and a female worm, this is not true though.
The Mollusca (pronounced /mɵˈlʌskə/), common name molluscs or mollusks[note 1] (pronounced /ˈmɒləsks/), are a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Numerous molluscs also live in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Molluscs are highly diverse, not only in size and in anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and in habitat. The phylum is typically divided into nine or ten taxonomic classes, of which two are entirely extinct. Cephalopod molluscs such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates – and either the giant squid or the colossal squid is the largest known invertebrate species. The gastropods (snails and slugs) are by far the most numerous molluscs in terms of classified species, and account for 80% of the total.
One of the newly discovered crab species, Insulamon palawanense, which is bright purple in color. CREDIT: © Senckenberg
Four new species of crab that sport some wild colors have been discovered near the Philippine island of Palawan.
The newfound species are threatened by mining activities in the region, which is one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots, its discoverers said. About half of the species that live on Palawan are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else.
Scientists at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany and De La Salle University in Manila found the four new species of Insulamon freshwater crab genus as part of their Aqua Palawana research program.
† MASOCHIST 
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