by Riskin, Dan
in Madagascar, 71n, 86–87, 86n
mating of, 75, 146
and moths and mite parasites, 94, 96
number of species of, 72
as parasites, 71–78
pollination of flowers by, 114–15
salting by, 147, 207
satellite male, 146–48
scorpion-eating, 175–78
as sharing with other bats, 76–77, 78, 199–201
with suction cups, 71n
at Texas campsite, 176–78
See also specific species of bat
“beaver fever,” 65, 65n
beavers, 70
bedbugs: mating among, 56–57
bees, 70, 114, 174, 182, 183, 189
beetles, 108–9, 123, 124, 189
Belize
bat study in, 1–3, 2n, 3–8, 11–12, 125
botflies in, 1, 3–8, 11–12, 125
Riskin’s trips to, 1–3, 2n, 3–8, 11–12, 125, 175
scorpions in, 175
bilharzia/schistosomiasis, 86–87
biodiversity, 207, 210
birds
bats and, 72
bright-colored, 59
as descendants of dinosaurs, 190
of paradise, 59n
parasites and, 70, 78
pollination of flowers by, 114
schistosomiasis among, 87
See also specific species
black widow spiders, 40n, 171n
blue dragon sea slugs, 168–69
blue whales, 121–22
botflies, 1, 3–8, 5n, 11–12, 13, 203, 207
bowerbirds, 36, 36n, 37, 67
Bracken Cave (Texas): bats in, 123–24
breeding. See genetic engineering
Bulgaria (ship): sinking of, 29
bullet ants, 180, 182–83
campsite, Texas: bats at, 176–79, 211
cannibalism, 25–26, 25–26n, 40, 40n, 41–42, 99
carnivores, 118–20, 125. See also predators; specific species
Carter, Gerry, 200–201, 202, 203
cassava, 108
castration, 41–43
caterpillars, 88–89, 111
Catholic Church: list of evils of, 13
cats: Toxoplasma parasite and, 90–93, 96
centipedes, 189
Centropogon nigricans plants, 114–15
cheetahs, 140, 141
Chelyabinsk meteor, 191
childbirth
aggression and, 49–50
by C-section, 129–33
DNA and, 133
hyenas and, 48–50, 48n, 49n
maternal deaths from, 43–45, 43n, 46, 46n
medicalized, 45–51, 210
natural, 37, 45–51, 209–10
and Sam’s birth, 12, 44–45, 65–66, 129–34, 130n
stillborns at, 44n
and stress, 133
and where to have baby, 47
chlorophyll, 102
climate change. See environment
cloning, 60–63, 60n
cobras, 184
cockroaches: wasps and, 87–88
communication: among plants, 110–11
cone snails, 169–70, 169n, 189
convergent evolution, 71n
copulation, forced, 51–56, 57
corn lily, 109
corpses
decomposition of, 122–24, 123n
See also cannibalism
Costa Concordia shipwreck, 29
Costa Rica: Riskin’s bat trip to, 71–78, 71n, 76n
cows: vampire bats and, 72, 72–73n
crocodiles, 165
cross-dressing: sneaker males as, 154–55, 154n
Curimagua spiders, 138–39
cuttlefish, 153–54
cyclopamine, 109–10
death
and greed in life-or-death situations, 28–32
maternal, 43–45, 43–44n, 46, 46n
natural, 122–23
and scorpions as playing dead, 175
by venomous snakes, 184
See also corpses
Desmodus rotundus bats, 77–78
Dinoponera gigantea ants, 183
dinosaurs, 190, 192, 193
Diplura spiders, 139
disappointment: envy compared with, 144–45
disease
parasites and, 79–80, 86–87
See also specific disease
DNA
childbirth and, 133
copulation and, 53
extinction and, 196–97
greed and, 17, 30–33
and horizontal gene transfer, 113, 113n
improvements in, 63, 90–91
“meat robot” and, 32–33, 32n, 67, 96, 98, 112–13, 114, 195, 210, 211
and nature as biological organism, 8–9
parasites and, 90–91, 95–96
parenting and, 30–33, 67
reproduction and, 35–67
and Riskin’s love for Sam, 12–13, 30–31, 33, 67, 96, 129–33, 156, 157, 199, 200–201, 202, 203, 211
sacrifices and, 200
of Sam, 33, 65–67, 96
selfishness and, 17, 196, 210
as short-term program, 196, 197
survival and, 12–13
Toxoplasma parasite and, 93
See also specific species
Dobzhansky, Theodosius, 204n
doctors
botfly treatment by, 6–8, 11–12
reattachment of skin by, 82–83
and treatment for Malayan krait snake bites, 185–86
dodo birds, 27–28
dogs, 140–41, 145, 146
dolphins, 54
doula, 129, 129n, 131
drag, dressing in, 154–55
“dry bites,” 188, 188n
ducks, 51–54, 52n, 55–56, 150
eagles, 21–22, 165
echolocation calls, 76, 94, 176
Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve (Texas), 177
elephantiasis, 80
elephants, 120
emerald sea slugs, 111–13, 112n, 168, 211
The Empire Strikes Back (movie): AT-AT walkers in, 31–32
energy, 8–9, 99–103, 101n, 103–4n, 107, 119, 124, 193–95
environment, 27n, 192–93, 206–7
envy
benefits of, 145–46
definition of, 135
disappointment compared with, 144–45
mating/sex and, 146–57
as motivator, 135
parenting and, 134, 157
and Sam’s birth, 129–34
sneaker males and, 148, 149–55
theft and, 135–46, 135n
Epimyrma ants, 136–37
Evarcha culicivora spiders, 72n
evils: Catholic Church list of, 13
evolution
of animals, 115
convergent, 71n
extinction and, 192, 193, 195n, 207
food and, 98
human acceptance of theory of, 204–5, 204n
of humans, 98, 141
instincts and, 206
love and, 202
nature/“natural” and, 205
as never-ending, 207
parasites and, 89
parenting and, 157
of plants, 115, 117
and Riskin’s love for Sam, 202
selfishness and, 164
of sex, 62, 66
See also specific species
extinction, 26–28, 26n, 27n, 102, 190–97, 194n, 195n, 207
feces: launching of, 88–89
Fenton, Brock, 76n
fetus: as parasite, 95–96
Feynman, Richard, 201–2
Finding Nemo (movie): anglerfish in, 84
fire ants, 179–80, 179n, 183
fish. See type of fish
flatworms, 60–61, 85–86
flies: as parasitoids, 88–89
flowers, 113–15, 201–2
food
and benefits of nature, 97
domestication o
f, 126–27
evolution and, 98
and human connection to nature, 125–26
for humans, 125–27
and hunger strikes, 101
natural, 104
natural death and, 122–23
plants as, 98
sharing of, 76–77, 78, 199–200
as source of energy, 101
stealing of, 135–46
whales “storage” of, 163n
See also type of food
Formica ants, 137
Franken-fish, 84–85
Freeman, Morgan, 19
frogs
bats as eating, 58, 58n
cuddling among, 148–49, 148n
mating among, 58, 148–51, 148n
sneaker males among, 149–51
tungara, 58, 58n
fruit, attractiveness of, 116–17
fruit-eating fish, 116
funnel-web spiders, 171n, 173
Galapagos Islands: iguanas on, 151–52
garter snakes, 55–56
genetic engineering, 126, 208
Georgia (Riskin’s botfly), 1, 5–8, 11–12
Giardia parasite, 65, 65n
global warming, 193
gluttony
of animals, 99
cannabalism and, 99
carnivores and, 118–20
energy and, 103
of plants, 99
predators and, 117–18, 119–20
See also food
golden silk spiders, 59, 59–60n
gorillas, 87, 107
Gough Island: mice on, 23–26, 24n, 205–6
Great Dying, 192
Great Oxygenation Event, 193, 194, 195, 211
Great Plains toads, 148, 149
greed
cannibalism and, 25–26, 25–26n
definition of, 17
DNA and, 17, 31–33
and human colonization of lands, 26–28
of humans, 26–31
instincts and, 28, 32
and killing of babies, 20–22
in life-or-death situations, 28–32
love and, 30–31, 33
parenting and, 30–33
Scrooge-type, 17, 22, 23, 23n, 76
as unpunished, 23
See also selfishness; specific species
Hadza people, 143
harems, 146–48
herbivores, 106, 107–8, 110–11, 118
hermaphrodites, 60–61, 84–85
homosexuality, 37, 51, 95, 210
horizontal gene transfer, 113, 113n
humans
and acceptance of evolution theory, 204–5, 204n
castration of, 42–43
and connection to nature, 125–26, 207–8
evolution of, 98, 141
as extinct, 192, 195
and extinction of animals, 26–31, 27n
food of, 125–27
greed/selfishness of, 26–31, 64
hunting of animals by, 141–43
impact on nature/world of, 206–7, 211
longevity and, 42–43
morality of, 156
nature as justification for behavior of, 51
parasites and, 79–83, 81n, 96
plants eaten by, 104, 104n
and poisonous plants, 108
power of, 196
pride and, 203–9
rights of, 209, 210, 211
role of technology in survival of, 208
running speed of, 15–16, 16n, 142
sex and, 42–43
during shipwrecks, 28–31
short-term focus of, 207
soul of, 204
as special, 205
and stealing of food, 141–43
Toxoplasma parasite and, 91–93
venom and, 166–68, 169, 170, 171, 172–73, 174, 183–89
See also specific disease or topic
hummingbirds, 114
hunger strikes, 100
hunting
and humans hunting of animals, 141–43
persistence, 142
hydrogen cyanide, 106–8
hyenas, 48–50, 48n, 49n, 50, 140, 141, 143
hymenopterans, 181–82, 183
ignorance as bliss, 156
iguanas: sneaker males among, 151–52
immobilizing predatory behavior, 163–64, 165
immune system, 80, 85, 86–87, 95–96, 123, 173, 185
impaling of prey, 164–65
individuality: parasites and, 96
infidelity, 146–48
instincts, 28, 32, 36, 164, 196, 206, 211
Jani, Prahlad, 99–100, 101, 102, 112, 126, 127
jellyfish, 166–68, 168n, 169, 170, 189
K-Pg boundary (Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary), 190–92, 193
Kenya: spiders in, 72n
kleptoparasitism, 135n
krill, 121–22
Krøyer’s deep sea anglerfish, 84–85, 95
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (TV program), 71
leeches, 81–84, 81n, 83
lemmings, 20–21
leopards, 143 Leptothorax ants, 135–37, 200
life expectancy, 35–36, 42–43, 67, 127
life-or-death situations: greed in, 28–32
light-emitting dances, ostracod’s, 152–53
lions, 15–16, 16n, 20, 20n, 31, 140, 141, 143, 165
lizards, 189
lobsters: necrophilia among, 150
loggerhead shrike, 164–65
longevity. See life expectancy
love
evolution and, 202
fatherly, 12–13, 30–31, 33, 67, 96, 129–33, 156, 157, 199, 200–201, 202, 203, 211
greed and, 30–31, 33
pure, 200, 203
of Riskin for Sam, 12–13, 30–31, 33, 67,
96, 129–33, 156, 157, 199, 200–201, 202, 203, 211
romantic, 63–64
selfishness and, 200, 203
sex and, 63–64
lust. See mating; reproduction
Madagascar: bats in, 71n, 86–87, 86n
maggots
botfly, 1, 3, 4–8, 11–12
and emerald cockroach wasps, 87–88
on Riskin from Belize trip, 1, 3, 4–8, 11–12
malaria, 79–80, 87
Malayan krait snakes, 185–86
March of the Penguins (documentary), 19–20
masturbation, 151–52
maternal death, 43–44, 43–44n
mating
aggression and, 51–54
alternative strategies for, 155–56
and cannibalism, 40, 40n
envy and, 146–57
female control during, 57–60, 138
and how to mate, 36–37
and “shot in the dark” strategy, 54, 54n
sneaker males and, 148, 149–55
stress and, 39–40, 39n
and traumatic insemination, 56–57 See also reproduction; sex; specific animal or organism
“meat robots”
animals as, 97–98
as Dawkins’ inspired theme, 32n
DNA and, 32–33, 32n, 67, 96, 98, 112–13, 114, 195, 210, 211
parasites and, 96
reproduction and, 36
and Riskin’s love for Sam, 157
methane, 194, 195
Mexican free-tailed bats, 176–77
mice of Gough Island, 23–26, 24n, 25–26n, 205–6
mites, 93–95, 96, 174n
mongooses, 165
monkeys, 144–45, 146
Monsters Inside Me (TV show), 70–71, 81n
morality, 156
mosquitoes, 4, 72n, 79–80, 79n
moths, 93–95, 96
mutualism, 105–6
natural disasters, 192–93
natural foods, 104
natural selection, 26, 32n, 93, 204, 205–6
nature
benefits of, 9–10, 11, 97, 207, 208
as biological organism, 8–9
dark side of, 9, 10,
11–12, 37–38, 80–81, 151, 156
evolution and, 205
as false ideal, 209–11
food as way for humans to participate in, 126
human connection to, 125–26, 207–8
human impact on, 206–7, 211
and humans getting back to their roots, 9
as justification for human behavior, 51
morality in, 156
Riskin’s love of, 178–79, 211 Sam as Riskin’s way of connecting with, 203
typical portrayal of, 9–10, 69, 159, 189
wrath of, 179, 189–90
necrophilia, 150–51
Nephilengys spiders, 41–42
New York City skyline: different views of, 11
North America: human impact on, 27, 27n
“nuptial gifts”: of spiders, 40, 40n, 138
nursery web spiders, 40n
obesity, 69
orangutans, 118, 121
ostracods, 152, 211
owls, snowy, 20–21
oxygen, 102, 193–95, 194n, 195n
P-Tr boundary (Permo-Triassic boundary), 192, 193
pallid bats, 175–78, 211
panda bears, 78
parasites
benefits of, 90–91
as changing behavior of hosts, 90–93
definition of, 71–72, 83
disease and, 79–80, 86–87
DNA and, 90–91, 95–96
evolution and, 89
fetus as, 95–96
as healthy, 70
importance of, 89–91, 94–95
individuality and, 96
and kleptoparasitism, 135n
meat robots and, 96
parasitoids and, 88–89
prevalence of, 78–79
Riskin’s interest in, 70–71
as taking care of hosts, 93–95
theft and, 135n
TV program about, 70–71, 81n
See also type of parasite
parasitism: of ants, 135–37
parasitoids, 88–89
parenting, 30–33, 67, 134, 156, 157
penguins, 18–20, 18–19n, 20n, 78, 150
penis fencing, 61
persistence hunting, 142
photosynthesis, 101–3, 101n, 103–4n, 112, 113, 193
pine trees, 113
pintail ducks, 51–54, 52n, 55–56
pinworms, 81
plants
as algae, 101
communication among, 110–11
defense mechanisms of, 104–5
disperal of seeds of, 115–16
evolution of, 115, 117
as food, 98, 104, 104n
gluttony of, 99
movement of, 115–16
mutualism and, 105–6
photosynthesis and, 101–2, 101n
as poisonous, 106–10
selfishness of, 98, 114, 115
sex and, 113–15
See also flowers; type of plant
Plasmodium parasite, 79–80
Platnik, Norman, 171n
platypuses, 189
“playing” with prey, 164
poison, 106–10, 166
poisonous gases, 193–94
pollination: of flowers, 113–15
Polyergus ants, 137
Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish, 168, 168n
predators, 117–18, 119–20, 135–43, 152. See also specific predator
