Mosquito- Shadow Animal Totem Free Essay Example

The mosquito is my shadow animal totem because it tests me to overcome small irritations. When a mosquito bites me, I’m usually not too happy about it. Even though it is just a small bump on me, it allows the mosquito to lay its eggs as the small amount of blood they suck is enough to last for a few days. After I have been bitten I need to find the patience to overcome the itchiness. Realistically, a mosquito bite is just a small inconvenience but I am afraid to stop worrying about it and move on to the bigger things that actually need my attention.

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The mosquito reminds you to listen to the lessons you are experiencing. It allows you recognize the attitudes of others and not only personal attitudes. Also, it makes you think about what that small irritation has done for the food chain or one animal in particular. Another thing the mosquito shows us we need to trust our bodies to take care of the bump or it will itch later on if we scratch it.

The bump will be taken care of by our body so our job is to focus on the things that matter in life. Mosquitoes give us a chance to test ourselves and revitalize our spirits. I seem to fail this test a lot, which is why the mosquito appeared to me as my shadow animal totem. When I can overcome a bite from a mosquito, I will have learned to be more patient and trust my body to do its job.

Mosquitoes live on still water until they reach adulthood and then they follow a trail of carbon dioxide which will be its blood source. They can suck blood from a lot of creatures but they choose mainly humans, herbivorous mammals, and birds. Only the female mosquito sucks blood because it needs the protein and iron in our blood to develop its eggs. Both females and males use plant nectar, fruit juices, and liquids that ooze from plants as another food source.

A mosquito has a long, slim body with 6 legs, a mouthpiece called a proboscis designed to suck in food, and two antennae. Mosquitoes are nocturnal but they do rest in dense vegetation, caves, tree holes, chicken coops, stables, and basements during daytime. When a male mosquito wants to find a mate it will listen to the sound of the female’s wings as they reach a higher frequency than the male can get to. Even as they are mating, they will change the beat of the wings to different frequencies and create a “duet”.