wryneck
(the letter ‘w’ is silent)
a kind of bird – belongs to the ‘woodpecker’ family – greyish all over with (dark) brown and buff mottling, large head, with relatively long, pointed beak (bill) with long, barbed and sticky tongue, relatively long neck, moderately long, slender legs with long toes – two facing forward and two facing backwards, relatively long tail with soft feathers; size: 6-8 inches long, and weight: 25-60 grams; feeds on insects (mostly those found on the ground); lives for 6=10 (?) years; 4 species, found in Europe, Asia and the Americas
Special Features:
The most striking feature of the wryneck is its habit of turning its head almost 180º!
- wryneck twisting its neck
It twists its neck to one side tilting the beak in the opposite side as if it were in pain (writhe), and so the name ‘wryneck’! And it uses this feature, along with a low hissing sound, to scare away any predators!!
Unlike its relatives the woodpeckers, the wrynecks mostly feed on the insects found on ground!
Woodpeckers have stiff tail feathers, and can climb tree trunks vertically, but the wrynecks have soft feathers, and so cannot climb tree trunks vertically!
Wrynecks are considered to be evil and are believed to ‘cast a spell’ or bring bad luck, and is often considered a ‘jinx‘, some bad luck. In fact ‘wrynecks’ are originally called “iynx” or “jinx” bird. Even to this day, wryneck or jinx bird’s feathers are used in making ‘charms’ or in black magic!!!
Figures of Speech:
wry neck (noun) = a person or animal with a peculiar disease called ‘torticollis’ (‘torticollis’ = a kind of disease in which the patient’s head is flexed (twisted) to one side by contraction of muscles, face rotated to the opposite side, and the chin titled upwards)
wren
{pronunciation: the letter ‘w’ is silent}
a kind of bird – song bird – insectivore (= feeds mostly on insects) – diurnal (= active during day) – small but stocky body in grey, brown, black and white feathers – most species with spots or bars, with cone-shaped head, small eyes, relatively long, slender beak (bill), short neck, short wings, long, thin legs and toes, moderately long tail; size: the smallest – white-bellied wren – 4 inches in length and 9-10 grams in weight, the largest – giant wren – 9-10 inches long and 50 grams in weight; feeds on (eats) mostly insects and spiders, and plant matter – fruit, vegetable matter, etc., and occasionally, some large species, lizards; lives for 6-7 years; 80 species, found in the Americas, and (one species) in Europe and Asia
male ~~ cock
female ~~ jenny; jennywren
baby ~~ chick
group ~~ herd; flock
voice (call) ~~ {no particular name} trill, whistle
home ~~ nest
{The small song birds (about 27 species) that are called ‘wren’ in Australia and New Zealand, and the ones called ‘ant-wren’ and ‘wren-babbler’ do not belong to the ‘true’ wren family.}
Special Features:
The ‘cactus wren’ is the state bird of Arizona; and the ‘Carolina wren’ is the state bird of South Carolina, USA.
Though they are small birds, wrens are noted for their loud calls. A wren gives out its song (voice) 10 times more powerfully than a full-grown rooster (cock) crows! {A wren may be anywhere between 4-10 inches in length and 9-50 grams in weight, while a rooster is 1-3 feet in length and 500 grams to 2½ Kg. in weight!}
Several species of wren hold their medium-sized (stubby in some species) tails upright (erect) and flick them quite often; and most of the wrens sleep on the ground!
-
wren’s nest
wren’s nest
A male wren builds several dome-shaped nests, called ‘cock nests’ from which its paired female chooses only one, and lines the nest with feathers!
The wren is a popular song bird. It is so popular that some countries have its pictures on their postal stamps.
Figures of Speech:
1.
wren (noun) =
(a) a member of the former British ‘Women’s Royal Naval Service’ (not an acronym; but like a nickname)
(b) {an acronym – a word made from the first letter of a long name or phrase of many words} Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network, New Hampshire, USA
2.
as weak as a wren
3.
as dapper as a cock-wren (‘dapper’ = neatly dressed; very stylish)
4.
wrens may prey where eagles dare not perch [said to point out that a common person has less restrictions than a famous person]
5.
a wren in hand is better than a crane to be caught (‘wren’ = a small bird; ‘crane’ = a large bird) [a saying implying that even a small gain, profit or thing that is surely yours right now is far more valuable than a larger one you may or may not have in future]
wrasse
{pronunciation – the letter ‘w’ is silent; and the end sound rhymes with ‘grass’}
a kind of fish – salt water – finned, bony and scaly – spiny fin on the back, brightly coloured – {the shape and the size vary from one species to another and from one wrasse to another in the same species}; size: from 3½ inches to 7-8 feet in length, and weight: from 15 grams to 190 Kg. (male larger than female); lives for: some species only 3 years, some 25 years, some others 30 years (Some species and individuals in some species are known to life for 50 years!); feeds on (eats) shellfish, crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and starfish, sea urchin, etc. (Some species, such as ‘cleaner wrasse’ are known to live on the parasites, dead tissue and other debris on the other fish, including those food particles in the mouths of other fish!); 500 species, found in the tropical reef zones of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans
Some common or popular wrasses are: bird wrasse, balcktail wrasse, ornate wrasse, belted wrasse, Christmas wrasse, blue-head wrasse, clown wrasse, yellowtail wrasse, pearl wrasse, humphead wrasse, blue streak wrasse, velvet wrasse, fairy wrasse, eight-lined wrasse, leopard wrasse, lined wrasse, dragon wrasse, rock wrasse, Asian sheep-head wrasse, cleaner wrasse
humphead wrasse:
(also ‘Maori wrasse’, ‘Napoleon wrasse’, Napoleonfish’)
It is the largest of the wrasse family with male growing to 7-8 feet long and 190 Kg. heavy (male much larger than female).
The most striking features are the thick, fleshy lips, and a large ‘hump’ on the fore-head above the eyes. The male is bright blue to green, purplish blue or dull blue-green, and the female and young are red-orange above and pale red-orange to white below.
cleaner wrasse:
The ‘cleaner wrasse’ is any of the small species of wrasse that feed on the parasites, dead tissues and other morsels of food that are found on the bodies, and even in the mouths, of other large and small fish.
The other fish somehow know the cleaner wrasses and stay still when they approach for the cleaning job to be done!
The ‘blue-streak wrasse’ is the most popular of the wrasses!
It is observed that wrasses have some special places, called ‘cleaning stations’, like our beauty parlours, in the oceans, of course, where cleaner wrasses wait, and other fish that are in need of a ‘clean’ go there to be cleaned!
Some wrasses are known to make ‘house calls’ to those ‘shy clients’ who do not like to visit the cleaning stations!!
worm – Figures of Speech:
1.
worm (noun) =
(a) an undesirable, worthless and cowardly person
(b) a slight trace (shade) of doubt
(c) thread of a screw
(d) spiral condenser in a still (‘still’, in this context = a kind of apparatus to distil/filter some liquid)
2.
to worm (verb) =
(a) to make one’s way (through a mob of people or a group of disorderly placed things) with a crawling wriggling motion
(b) to move forward slowly and with difficulty
(c) to wrap (to wind) yarn or twine spirally around
(d) to make progress by one’s own efforts
3.
WORM = {an acronym = a word formed from the first letter of each of the words in a long name or a long phrase}
Write Once; Read Many (times), an optical disc computer technology
4.
muck-worm = a miser
5.
book-worm = a keen, eager reader; a person who acquires all his knowledge from reading books
6.
can of worms = a complex problem unsolved until the time of speaking (‘can’, in this context = a container; tin)
7.
the worm of conscience = the sorrowful feeling for having done something bad
8.
worm’s eye view [said of something being considered from a low view point or humble position]
9.
as silly as a hatful of worms
10.
(He/she) has a smile like a can of worms [said of a disgusting or cunning smile]
11.
as naked as a worm
12.
nervous/restless/fidgety as worms in hot ash
13.
to wriggle like worms in hot ashes
14.
to open a can of worms = to bring an unpleasant, embarrassing matter or issue for open discussion
15.
to be worms’ meat = to be dead
16.
even a worm will turn [said as a warning to someone that if you harass, tease or abuse too frequently or for very simple things, even a simple or weak person will become angry and try to revolt]
worm — [C]
(not ‘worms’ in the real sense) the young of any insect in their larval stage, with a soft body, which grow into the adult insect form in the later stage; e.g. caterpillars, grub, maggots, etc.
Some soft-bodied creatures that have the word ‘worm’ in their names but are not ‘worms’ in the real sense are: railroad worm, woodworm, glow worm, inchworm, mealworm, silkworm, blind worm, ring worm, whipworm, bookworm, etc.
railroad worm: an insect, belongs to the beetle family; the female glows;
woodworm: an insect, belongs to the beetle family; the larva makes holes in the wood;
inch worm: the larva of this moth an insect that belongs to the moth family;
meal worm: an insect that belongs to the beetle family; the larva of this beetle feeds on the grain and cereals;
-
silkworm
silkworm
silkworm: an insect that belongs to the moth family; the larva of this moth feeds on leaves – very useful ‘worm’, silk cloth is made from the caterpillars of this moth;
-
blindworm
blindworm
blindworm: (also called ‘slow-worm’): a kind of lizard without legs, looks like a snake;
-
ringworm
ringworm
ringworm: not a worm in any sense – it is a skin fungus;
shipworm: a kind of shellfish (mollusc) – bivalve (double-shelled animal) – salt-water clam that eats away wet wood and things made of wood, such as ships, piers and other wooden things that are wet;
bookworm: not a particular type of worm – the larva of any insect, moth or beetle, that damages books by eating away the paper or the bindings of books; and
screwworm: a kind of insect – the larva of a screwworm fly.
Continue … figures of speech >>>
worm
[A]
the common and short form for an ‘earthworm’
[B]
a kind animal – invertebrate (= without backbone or bones) – cold-blooded (= body temperature changes depending on the weather condition) – thread- or ribbon-like (flat or round) long, soft body without legs (some species have bristles, hair-like growth), some species have eyes, some without eyes, but with light sensitive organs, no teeth, some species without brains, but have nervous system, no head or tail in the ordinary sense, most species with a front and a back (anterior – beginning, and posterior – end part) – most of them wet and slimy; size: (varies widely) from very tiny (microscopic), and 0.04 inch (1 mm) in length, and a few milligrams in weight to about 200 feet (ribbon worm) in length and about 2 Kg. in weight; feeds on (eats) (mostly) decaying plant and/or animal matter in the soil (some parasitic species feed on blood or the digested substances directly from their hosts); lives for – depends on the species; about 4,500 (?) species, found all over the world
[A group of worms is called a ‘bed’, ‘bunch’ or ‘clew’.]
There are four broad groups or types of worms: flatworms; ribbon worms; round worms; and segmented worms.
Flatworm:
-
fluke-worm
fluke-worm
a soft, flat body, without body cavity, no specialised circulatory or respiratory system or organs; some species are parasitic (= living in or on the other animals getting the food directly from the host animals); some live in water, and some, on land; e.g. fluke, tapeworm, etc.
ribbon worm:
(also called ‘proboscis worms’)
-
ribbonworm
ribbonworm
a soft, long, thin body, with sensory and regulatory system and organs; with a ‘proboscis’ (= a long finger-like organ) for catching prey; lives mostly in water – fresh and salt water; e.g. nermertea, etc.
{Though it is a worm, the ‘nermertea’, one of several ribbon worm species, is the longest animal in the world, with a length of 150-200 feet. It is much long than the blue whale!}
roundworm:
-
roundworm
roundworm
a soft, symmetrical body, with a complete digestive and nervous system, but without circulatory or respiratory system; mostly microscopic (= very, very small – so small that they can be seen only through a microscope), but some can grow to 4 feet long; mostly parasitic (= living on or in other animals); e.g. roundworm, hookworm, pinworm, etc.
segmented worm:
-
lugworm
lugworm
a long, soft, round body divided by ring-like segments (like one part or compartment attached to the other); with digestive and circulatory system; can move (wriggle) on land; lives in water – fresh and salt – and on land; most common; some are parasitic (= living on or in another animal); e.g. earthworm, (leech), lug worm, bamboo worm, etc.
Continue … [C] >>>
woodpecker
a kind of bird – small to medium-sized bird with white, black, brown, green and red feather colours with patches of red and yellow on head and belly, cone-shaped head with relatively large, sharp, pointed beak (bill) with a sticky, barbed tongue, short, strong neck, slender looking body with sickle-shaped wings, short legs with toes – the first and the fourth facing forward and the second and third facing backward, relatively long, stiff tail; size: the smallest – Japanese pygmy woodpecker – only 6 inches long, and weight: 25 (?) grams, (or the closely related ‘bar-breasted piculet’ – only 3 inches long, and weight 7-10 grams), and the largest – the ‘great-slaty woodpecker — 1½ feet long and weight: 450-500 grams (or the “supposedly extinct” ivory-billed woodpecker — 1½-2 feet long, and weight: 500 grams); feeds on (eats) insects, insect larvae, caterpillars, and fruit, nuts and sap (‘sap’ = a kind of thick fluid that comes out of trees); lives for 4-10 years; about 200-216 (?) species, found all over the world, except Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar and some remote islands
male ~~ cock
female ~~ hen
baby ~~ chick
group ~~ descent, gatling
voice (call) ~~ {no particular name}
home ~~ nest (holes made in the tree trunks)
Special Features:
The ‘Puerto Rican woodpecker’ is the territory bird of Puerto Rico, a part of the USA in the Caribbean Islands.
The ‘Okinawa woodpecker’ is the province bird of Okinawa, Japan.
Woodpeckers are interesting birds with their strong, pointed beak (bill), about 4 inches long in some large species. They ‘excavate’ (probe, chip out) insects, and grub lodged under the barks of trees using their ‘chisel sharp’ beaks and sticky-tipped and barbed 4 inch-long tongues! Woodpeckers also make large holes (nests) in the tree trunks to lay eggs and raise the chicks, and to rest at nights!
The strong, sharp claws (two forward facing and two backward facing) of woodpeckers help them to cling tight to the branches while making holes in them. Woodpeckers can walk vertically up a tree. And the stiff tail feathers also help these birds to maintain good balance while clinging to the branches vertically!
In addition to the usual, limited vocal sounds (calls), woodpeckers use the ‘tap … tap’ sound of chipping the wood for communication!
The amazing thing about woodpeckers is that even after hammering the wood to find food or to make nests for hours and days on end, the woodpeckers do not get their brains damaged, nor do they get any head-aches. This is because they have relatively small brains, in the first place, and secondly, those small brains are located in a safe position in the skull protected by ‘shock-absorber-like’ thick bone!!
The ‘ground woodpecker’ is one of a very few species of woodpecker that live entirely on the ground!
-
woody woodpecker
woody woodpecker
The popular ‘woody woodpecker’ has been featured in comics and cartoons for several years now, and is one of the most popular comic and cartoon characters!
The woodpecker is also seen in the logos of several business establishments, and there are some popular music bands making some popular albums!!
Figures of Speech:
1.
woodpecker (noun) =
2.
as worn-out (or exhausted) as a woodpecker in a forest = very tired
3.
woodpeckers don’t breed sparrow-hawks (‘sparrow-hawk’ = a kind of bird of prey known to kill and feed on other small birds) [said to imply that one cannot expect the children to be better than their parents, i.e. if the parents have bad habits or behaviour, the children also tend to have the same habits or behaviour]
woodlouse
{plural – woodlice} (also ‘pill bug’, ‘sow bug’)
a kind of animal – land dwelling crustacean (= a group of animals that includes crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.) – nocturnal (= active at night) – soft, flat, oval-shaped body in 11 segments covered by exoskeleton (= a tough, flexible out cover) divided in 13 horny plates, either in grey, green or brown colour, body in three parts: the head, the thorax and the abdomen, with two antennae and a pair of round, black eyes on the head part, 7 pairs (14) jointed legs; size: from 1/5 of an inch to 2 inches long, and weight: —; feeds on (eats) dead plant matter and damp wood; lives for 1-4 years; about 3,500 species found in most damp places, including homes, all over the world
Some other common names, especially in the US, are: ‘armadillo bug’, ‘cheeselog’, doodle-bug’, ‘roly-poly’, ‘potato bug’, ‘rollup bug’, ‘chuggy pig’, etc.
Special Features:
Though they look like insects without wings, woodlice are not insects; they are land ‘crustaceans’, a group of animals that include crabs, lobsters, shrimps, etc.
Woodlice breathe through air-holes on the last (hindmost) pair of legs!
Some species of woodlouse roll up into a ball in defence when danger threatens!
Thus the name ‘pill bug’ or ‘rollup bug’; and because they have horny planted outer cover, like the banded armadillo, they are called ‘armadillo bug’!
People in some countries find these small animals so fascinating that they print these animal pictures on their postal stamps!!
<<< Back to List W —- Next … woodpecker >>>
woodcock
a kind of bird – wading bird (= lives near water walking in the shallow water for food) – nocturnal (= active at night) – related to the snipes (bird) – plump body with reddish-brown upper parts and intricately patterned (streaked) buff-coloured under parts, small head (without patterns) with a long, straight, pointed beak (bill), stocky body, rounded wings, short legs, short tail; size: American woodcock, 8 inches long, with a 2½-3½ of inch-long beak, and weight, 200 grams, and Eurasian woodcock, 1-1½ feet long with a 2-4 inch-long beak (bill), and weight, 250-425 grams; feeds on (eats) insects, insect larvae, worms, fresh-water molluscs (shellfish), and seeds of certain trees; lives for 8-10 years; 7 species, found in several parts of the world
male ~~ rooster; cock
female ~~ hen
baby ~~ chick
group ~~ fall, covey, plump
voice (call) ~~ whistle; peenting {no particular name, but usually, deep crocks and sharp squeaks}
home ~~ nest
The common names of the 7 species are: Eurasian woodcock, American woodcock, Amami woodcock, Bukidnon woodcock, Duskey woodcock, Sulawesi woodcock and Moluccan woodcock.
Special Features:
The woodcocks have been hunted for sport.
The ‘joint feathers’ of a woodcock’s wings, called ‘pin feathers’ are used by the artists for fine painting work!
The males are known to involve in a spectacular courtship flight called ‘roding’ in which they fly with their wings twittering while giving out deep crocks and sharp squeaks and spiralling down to the ground.
The most interesting feature of these birds is that the female birds are known to carry their chicks between their legs (or on their backs?) when they sense any danger!! {Very few birds have this feature – the other one is the ‘rail’ which carries its chicks in its beak; and a few of the water birds carry their young on their backs while swimming!}
American woodcock is the slowest flying bird – flying at speeds of only 5 mph (8kmh) without falling down!
Woodcocks are a popular bird in Europe and America. Woodcocks are featured in the names and logos of several institutions and clubs in Europe and America!
Figures of Speech:
1.
woodcock (noun) =
(a) a weak-minded but trusting person
(b) a person who can be deceived easily
2.
Scotch woodcock = a kind of food item – scrambled eggs and anchovies (= a kind of fish) on toast
3.
wise as a woodcock = to be a fool
4.
one woodcock doesn’t make a winter [said to imply that one point or fact does not prove a whole thing]
5.
as wise as a woodcock
6.
a springe to catch a woodcock (‘springe’ = a trap; a snare to catch animals) [said of a woman’s beauty]
wolverine
(also called ‘carcajou’, ‘glutton’; ‘skunk bear’ or ‘nasty cat’)
a kind of animal – mammal – four-legged – omnivore (mostly carnivore) – mostly nocturnal (= active at night) – looks like (resembles) a small bear with a long tail, but belongs to the weasel family – stocky, muscular body with long, thick, rough, dark brown hair (fur/coat) with stripes of pale yellow along the sides, large, flat head with short, rounded, straight ears, small eyes, long, black muzzle (= mouth and nose part) with sharp teeth, short, thick neck, stout body, short, bowed (= slightly bent) legs with padded wide paws with five clawed toes, bushy tail; size: 3-4 feet long with a 7-10 inch long tail, 1-1½ feet tall at the shoulder, and weight: any where from 7 Kg. to 30 Kg. (male larger than female); feeds on (eats) mostly carrion (= flesh of dead animals), and from small animals, such as rabbit, to large animals, such as deer, moose, etc., occasionally plant matter – roots, berries, etc; lives for 5-12 years in the wild (individuals in captivity may live for 16-18 years); two types – the old world wolverines: in Eurasia, and the new world wolverine: in North America, found in the Arctic region of Eurasia and North America
male ~~ male (dog ?)
female ~~ female (bitch ?)
baby ~~ kit, pup
group ~~ —-
voice (call) ~~ grunt; growl (mostly silent)
home ~~ den, burrow
movement (motion) ~~ lope
Special Features:
The state of Michigan, USA, is known as the ‘wolverine state’; and the ‘University of Michigan’ has the wolverine as its mascot!
The wolverine is not related to the wolf family, but it belongs to the weasel family.
The wolverine is the second largest and largest land animal of the weasel family (the giant otter being the largest, but aquatic)!
Like most other members of the weasel family, wolverines give out a strong and foul smelling fluid from their anal glands. The stink is very unpleasant and these animals spray this ‘musk’ fluid on the bodies of their kill or other carrion to deter other animals from eating them, and as a result, they are called ‘skunk bear’ or ‘nasty cat’!!
Wolverines are known to be fierce, aggressive, bold and powerful animals for their small size. They are known to hunt much larger animals than they are, and to drive away bears and even packs of wolves from their kill or their young!
Wolverines have much stamina (strength) and travel long distances. They are good climbers and can climb trees easily. They are also very powerful swimmers!
Wolverines have been hunted for their skin which is noted for its durability and frost-free quality. The fur has been used in the linings of hoods and cuffs of parkas!
In American Indian mythology, wolverines are described as trickster-hero and a link to the spiritual world.
The wolverine is a character in several comics and cartoons by Marvel Comics.
A Marvel production film/movie is made with ‘wolverine’ the lead character!
- wolverine logo
The wolverine is so fiercely popular in the States that sports teams and clubs of several colleges and universities have ‘wolverine’ in their names and logos!!
