yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Yosemite's Strangest Love Story | America's National Parks | National Geographic


2m read
·Nov 10, 2024

NARRATOR: From Yosemite's iconic green valley to its secret eastern edge. The little rain reaches this arid landscape, blocked by over 13,000 feet of solid Sierra Nevada. An alien desert-like habitat, home to one of the park's strangest females: a praying mantis.

It's the last days of summer in Yosemite, and she's coming to the end of her seasonal feeding spree. Her main weapons are prominent front legs lined with shark tooth-shaped spikes. The praying mantis is the only insect on the planet with three-dimensional vision. Her lightning fast strike clocks at 1/20 of a second. But this is only a cricket drumstick appetizer.

She releases a concoction of alluring pheromones into the air. Oh do mantis. One lucky guy picks up the signal. Maybe some eye contact can smooth out this first date, or maybe not. In exchange for his would-be wooing, the Casanova is attacked. It's impossible for him to free himself. The male's head is ripped off—the female's final main course.

It's an abrupt end to a first date. Or is it? The decapitated male is still moving. The headless torso of the male praying mantis is still controlled by nerves in the abdomen. In a final mating act, his body completes what his head started. The female, on the other hand, is busy finishing dinner.

She'll mate with multiple males each breeding season. Not all of them will suffer the same fate. But the males who are decapitated may father the most eggs. The ultimate sacrifice in a unique Yosemite love story.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

More Articles

View All
15 Brutal TRUTHS People Don't Want To Hear
[Music] This is the Sunday motivational video. Every Sunday, we bring you a different type of video which should improve your life. Today, we’re looking at 15 brutal truths that people don’t want to hear. Welcome to a lox calm, the place where future bill…
The Gateway to Secret Underwater Worlds | Podcast | Overheard at National Geographic
We’re in the middle of winter, so the water is very cold, and the sky was gray and the sea was gray as well, with no limit. You know, when you see the sky and the sea, the sea was very flat, and there is no limit between the sea and the sky. That’s Lauren…
Embrace World Mental Health Day with Sal Khan
Sal Con here from Khan Academy, and we are inside, uh, my office/sl closet. This is where I record videos, take meetings, etc. Uh, many of y’all know I’m a big fan of meditation. It helps me clear my mind; it helps me think more clearly, be less stressed,…
The 7 BEST Side Hustles That Make $100 Per Day
What’s up, Graham? It’s guys here, and welcome to the most requested topic I get here in the channel, and that would be side hustles. I get it; it’s easy to see the appeal of making money in your spare time. After all, chances are most of us have an extra…
What's In A Candle Flame?
What is a candle flame really made of? I am at the Palace of Discovery in Paris to do an experiment that beautifully demonstrates the answers. Ok, so we’re turning on an electric field here and we see that the flame is spreading out. That’s very cute; it…
Presidential signing statements | US government and civics | Khan Academy
What we’re going to do in this video is talk about presidential signing statements. These are statements that presidents issue when they are signing a bill into law. They don’t always do this; in fact, it was quite infrequent for a very long time. The fir…