Glacier Mice: The Herd-Like Moss Balls That Baffle Scientists
Glacier mice are fuzzy green balls of moss that live on glaciers and move in coordinated herds, puzzling researchers. Found from Alaska to Uganda, these colonies host tiny creatures like water bears and springtails. Their movement, averaging 2.5 cm per day, appears non-random and may result from the sun melting ice unevenly around them. They can persist for six years or more, thriving in an ecosystem that seems inhospitable.
Their movement across the ice appears to be non-random, taking the form of herd-like behavior.
- jameshart
Huh
> they have been observed in Alaska, Chile, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Uganda and Venezuela
Well, today I learned, Venezuela has glaciers.
Then I googled that, and…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/...
And so today I learned, Venezuela used to have glaciers.
- noncovalence
Always love seeing a link to wikipedia.org on the front page. Pretty much guaranteed to make me go "oh, neat" :)
- enjrolas
I did a bit of searching, and couldn't find a single timelapse of glacier mice movement. Time for a trip to the mountains with some cameras!
- comrade1234
Here in Switzerland when children order shrimp at a restaurant I tell them that they come from the shrimp mines in the glaciers.
- kaffekaka
jökla-mýs is a wonderful name, you gotta love icelandic. A swede might also associate it too "jäkla mys" - god damn cozy!