shark lives hidden in aquarium for years
By jb78000
@jb78000 (15139)
May 19, 2011 10:19am CST
a uk aquarium has just found a small ocean shark in one of their displays that nobody had a clue they had. the animal stayed hidden in the darker crannies of the tank for several years and the staff only found the shark when she started laying eggs, which she forgot to hide: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/secret-shark-discovered-aquarium-121606867.html
so apart from wondering just how thoroughly the staff actually cleaned the tank, or indeed looked at it, this made me start to think about what exotic beasts might be hidden in my flat. i have to go fairly small, because there aren't really any places to hide, i am hoping for sugar gliders.
so what strange animals do you think, know or wish are hiding in your home?
3 people like this
11 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 May 11
I'm quite sure that there's SOMETHING behind my fridge. I sometimes see the cobwebs above it waving, especially when there is a peculiar grunt or throat clearing noise (which other people think is the mechanism starting up ... except that there is no 'mechanism' to start up). I'm not sure yet what it does but it sometimes wees on the floor.
The other monster that I haven't seen is the Sock Monster that lives in the washing machine.
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
19 May 11
I've got one of those under my bed. It has a very specialised diet though - it only eats one of every pair of socks! 
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 May 11
Mine's on a dye it, too. Whites always come out pink.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
19 May 11
You had better take that anxiety pill that you were keeping for a special occasion and sit down before I relate what I have.
Ready? I have the most amazing species belonging to the human kingdom living in my home. it is - an honest politician.
Outside of the home we have parakeets, hummingbirds, squits, pigeons and owls. Hosts of insect life and oh, the most recent additions are two turtles.
Lots of lizards of many different varieties plus someone who is always leaving n the garden hose. Boring isn't it?
Outside of the home we have parakeets, hummingbirds, squits, pigeons and owls. Hosts of insect life and oh, the most recent additions are two turtles.
Lots of lizards of many different varieties plus someone who is always leaving n the garden hose. Boring isn't it?1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 May 11
Are you quite sure the wheelie bin wasn't trying to eat the seagull?
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
19 May 11
other than the strange animal who is occupying the master bedroom?
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
19 May 11
Hello, Judith. Love that story. We had a rude awakening the other morning. Tony put his hand down to scratch his leg and felt something soft and wriggly - no, not that, it was too long! Anyway, it turned out to be a banded centipede, about 5" long, and we don't know how long it had been hiding in the bed. I do know I didn't get back in it until the bed had been searched more thoroughly than the scene of a massacre.
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 May 11
(It was 5 INCHES, JB!)
Those big centipedes can have a nasty bite, I gather. I didn't know you had them in Spain, Sandra. I remember my nephews regaling us with stories of 'bungololos' in Malawi. I think those could be almost a foot long.
2 people like this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
19 May 11
@ Judith - you must have the same eye problems as my husband - he thinks things are bigger than they really are as well! Have one for a pet? No way Jose. I've been writing a lot on Helium, although I do get over here most days, even if only for a few minutes.
@ Owlwings. We've only seen 2 in the three years we've lived here - the first one was about 7" - inches Judith - long and disappeared under the sideboard. Apparently, banded centipedes are quite common in warmer European countries. They do bite, but it's not too much of a problem unless you have an allergic reaction.
1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
22 May 11
That is amazing. They obviously are not that thorough when it cmes to cleaning the place! 
We are currently in the process of pacikning up our house as we are moving after ten years. It is amazing what you find hidden away in the dark recesses in your home. I found a Thylacine hiding in my cupboard! God knows how long it has been there? I thought they were extinct! http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/rare-photographs-now-extinct-beasts/14727?image=7
We are currently in the process of pacikning up our house as we are moving after ten years. It is amazing what you find hidden away in the dark recesses in your home. I found a Thylacine hiding in my cupboard! God knows how long it has been there? I thought they were extinct! http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/rare-photographs-now-extinct-beasts/14727?image=7
@purplealabaster (22094)
• United States
20 May 11
I read this discussion earlier but did not have time to respond. Then, when I was feeding one of the dogs, I moved her bowl to get the pieces of food that she had dumped out of her dish while eating and did not clean up (for a dog she sure is a picky thing as she will not eat her food once it has touched the floor
) and found some moth larvae.
) and found some moth larvae.@purplealabaster (22094)
• United States
21 May 11
I am pretty sure that they were not maggots as I thought that maggots were white and non-hairy (rather slimy, in fact). These were dark brown and appeared to have bristly looking hairs on them. There were only a few ... not like an infestation or anything ... but a few more than I would have liked to have found. I also found a moth in that general area the day before, which is why I thought they were moth larvae. What do you think that they were?
I also found a moth in that general area the day before, which is why I thought they were moth larvae. What do you think that they were?
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
19 May 11
This brings me to wonder about all the magical mystical beasts that might live in the ocean, personally.Who knows what else is out there, if they can miss this in a tank. In my own house I need a walking or scooting live dusting beast to get the cleaning done. I guess mz shark does not have to have mr. shark to lay eggs? Or perhaps he is hiding as well. But they found each other.
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
20 May 11
This brings to mind the time when on 60 minutes or some such tv show they had a thing on hidden stuff in hotel rooms. Bed bugs, and spirm on the bead spreads and and all manner of stuff. It was discusting and really opened alot of peoples eyes to hidden things in the hotel rooms. Ugh!
@jb78000 (15139)
•
20 May 11
every mattress has i don't know how many thousand mites in it. they are completely harmless but believe me, you really don't want to see a picture of the little beasties under a microscope. bed bugs on the other hand are a complete nuisance. they are evolving resistence to some of the treatments as well.
1 person likes this
@rosegardens (3034)
• United States
19 May 11
I really wish I had a litterbox fairy, and a stop drips gnome.
Hard to believe they did not even know the shark was there..........
Good thing they fed her! Now, if she laid eggs, then perhaps there is a male in there somewhere?
There is some weird creature letting flies and gnats in my house. I think some invisible creature is leaving gifts in the litterbox; that would explain why there is always so much waste in it. It cannot possibly be my furry beasts are so full of it!
Good thing they fed her! Now, if she laid eggs, then perhaps there is a male in there somewhere?
There is some weird creature letting flies and gnats in my house. I think some invisible creature is leaving gifts in the litterbox; that would explain why there is always so much waste in it. It cannot possibly be my furry beasts are so full of it!@jb78000 (15139)
•
19 May 11
i have a horrible feeling you have not a litterbox fairy but a litterbox gnome. leaving nice little presents for you. that or your furries are very well fed. anyway i think the eggs were unfertilised but who knows. ms shark had hidden successfully for a very long time, she could already have a mate.
@rosegardens (3034)
• United States
20 May 11
Aha, so that is the problem! Gnomes. I do not like them. 
Hmmm...I never considered the eggs would be unfertilized. Good point!
Hmmm...I never considered the eggs would be unfertilized. Good point!
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
19 May 11
I actually read this article in yahoo and I find the their comments very amusing. Some say that the shark won the hide and seek contest, some say it is actually a loan shark etc. Well as for your question, I wish there is a panda bear hiding in our garden haha, though the panda is not a strange animal but it would be strange to find it in our garden.
@lsdshrooms (214)
• United States
19 May 11
Sharks are cool, and this is awesome. Did the eggs hatch or did they destroy the eggs? They should make a shark exhibit or something, they probably will kill the shark though since it's not supposed to be there. They should either keep it where it is or move it to a new tank, I mean c'mon, sharks are really neat and alot of people would be interested in looking at it.
@purplealabaster (22094)
• United States
20 May 11
I would suspect that the eggs were unfertilized unless there is another shark lurking in the tank that they have not found yet. That is probably why she did not bother to hide the eggs, either, because she knew that they would not produce offspring.
