todropscience:An electric eel leaping out the water to shock a fake alligator head.This must be one
todropscience:An electric eel leaping out the water to shock a fake alligator head.This must be one of the most cool and weird videos to accompany a scientific paper this year so far. The video and experiment demonstrates how eels react to half-submerged predators by leaping up out of water and administering defensive volleys of high-voltage electricity Electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are shown to leap from the water to directly electrify threats. This shocking behavior likely allows electric eels to defend themselves during the Amazonian dry season, when they may be found in small pools and in danger of predation. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - Leaping eel in real timeThe study support Alexander von Humboldt’s story of electric eels attacking horses that had been herded into a muddy pool during the dry season in 1800 on a field trip to the Amazon.The finding highlights sophisticated behaviors that have evolved in concert with the eel’s powerful electrical organs. By the way no one knows how an electric eel can electrocute its victim without shocking itself.GIF: Leaping electric eel in slow motion. Watch video hereReference (Open Access): Catania. 2016. Leaping eels electrify threats, supporting Humboldt’s account of a battle with horses. PNAS -- source link