Yup, you heard us! This one is all about poo-throwing caterpillars … messy little creatures!

Some species of caterpillars have a unique “catapulting” mechanism for waste disposal.

For example, silver-spotted skipper caterpillars use their blood pressure pump to throw their faecal pellets from an anal “launching pad” up to 1.4 meters away from their nest which is more than 40 times their body length.

Scientists believe that because these caterpillars live in leaf nests, they have to forcibly eject their frass (poo) to protect inhabitants from parasites, wasps and other predators.

Who knew!?

Information source:

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/projectile_pooping/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0516_030516_caterpillars.html

Author: Artiom Bondarenco

Image source:

https://www.questacon.edu.au/qshop/images/D/da_vinci_catapult_built_angled%20900.png