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Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Sunday, October 02, 2011

MUIRHEAD'S MYSTERIES: An electrical caterpillar

29th August 1891 in the Manchester City News













1 comment:

Carl said...

An interesting species. Although the European puss moth caterpillar C.vinula doesn't deliver an electric shock it does have a surprising defence mechanism, it squirts formic acid from its head at its attacker, which in the wild is often birds. Formic acid on the skin does create a short lasting sensation that might feel like a mild electric shock, so if one wasn't familiar with this species secret weapon they might be forgiven for thinking they've been buzzed. The unrelated North American puss moth Megalopyge opercularis is another one not to handle, even though it looks quite cute, underneath its fluffy hairs are hidden venomous spines that instantly irritate the skin when touched - Ouch.