ABSTRACT
Hoopoes (WHO-poos or WHO-pose) are pretty birds, with black-and-white banded wings, Mohawk-style head crests, and long, elegant beaks. Most birds have a “preen gland”—or uropygial gland, scientifically speaking—underneath their tail feathers. The gland produces an oily, waxy substance that birds spread over their bodies as they preen; the goop protects birds’ feathers from water and parasites. The substances added by the bacteria in their preen glands include chemicals that kill harmful infectious bacteria, including those that can degrade feathers. Some Crematogaster species engage in "ranching" or "farming" behavior. They herd groups of small insects like aphids or leafhoppers together, protecting them and feeding on nutrient-rich fluids they produce. The octopus stinkhorn fungus is a scary-looking organism, indeed. It grows long red “tentacles” which release a foul smell that attracts flies and other stink-loving insects.
