HomesickAlien Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 18 October 2014 Paleontology Saturday Iguanodon Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived from about 139 to 90 million years ago, from the early to late Cretaceous period. Iguanodon was the second dinosaur ever discovered and it was one of the first dinosaurs to be named. When the first Iguanodon skeleton was discovered it was believed to walk much like an iguana, on all four legs. Its thumb spike was believed to be a horn on its head (only one thumb spike was found). At one point it was also thought to have lived in trees, but this has been since proven completely wrong. One of the more notable characteristics of the Iguanodon species is its "thumbs". Instead of a thumb it had a large spike that paleontologists believed Iguanodons used for defensive purposes, but could have also been used for getting food. The "pinky" finger of an Iguanodon is believed to have acted as its thumb. Palentologists belive that Iguanadon may have traveled in herds. In large herds of Iguanodons other dinosaurs, mainly the ankylosaur family, would join in the migrations to gain protection to the herd as a whole. It was mostly quadropedic, but could have stood up on its hind legs to reach tall plants or to run away quickly. Iguanodon was perhaps the most successful dinosaur species, with it and its relatives being found on nearly every continent. http://i.imgur.com/2w6JPxy.jpg http://i.imgur.com/WAWAixY.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7K9qq6E.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9MYjBXs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XY67WE6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KPPzPWR.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 18 October 2014 Paleontology Saturday Iguanodon Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived from about 139 to 90 million years ago, from the early to late Cretaceous period. Iguanodon was the second dinosaur ever discovered and it was one of the first dinosaurs to be named. When the first Iguanodon skeleton was discovered it was believed to walk much like an iguana, on all four legs. Its thumb spike was believed to be a horn on its head (only one thumb spike was found). At one point it was also thought to have lived in trees, but this has been since proven completely wrong. One of the more notable characteristics of the Iguanodon species is its "thumbs". Instead of a thumb it had a large spike that paleontologists believed Iguanodons used for defensive purposes, but could have also been used for getting food. The "pinky" finger of an Iguanodon is believed to have acted as its thumb. Palentologists belive that Iguanadon may have traveled in herds. In large herds of Iguanodons other dinosaurs, mainly the ankylosaur family, would join in the migrations to gain protection to the herd as a whole. It was mostly quadropedic, but could have stood up on its hind legs to reach tall plants or to run away quickly. Iguanodon was perhaps the most successful dinosaur species, with it and its relatives being found on nearly every continent. http://i.imgur.com/2w6JPxy.jpg http://i.imgur.com/WAWAixY.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7K9qq6E.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9MYjBXs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XY67WE6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KPPzPWR.jpg He's magnificent! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 17 October 2014 FLORA FRIDAY King Protea With its massive, bowl shaped inflorescences, the king protea is one of the most spectacular members of the Proteaceae family, and as a result, has been designated the national flower of South Africa. The king protea is a woody shrub, with thick stems leading to clusters of pink or crimson coloured flowers, arranged into large flower heads that are surrounded by large, narrow, colourful bracts, and flattened, paddle-shaped leaves. The appearance of the king protea varies substantially throughout its range, and an astonishing 81 variants have been used in horticulture. However, the variants with pale pink bracts and a silvery sheen are the most familiar, and are widely used as decorative garden plants. The seed of the king protea is a large nut that is covered in hairs. The king protea is a perennial plant that flowers for several months each year. Birds such as sunbirds and sugarbirds, and insects, such as scarab beetles, are attracted by the sweet, sugar-rich nectar and the brightly coloured bracts and styles, and are the main pollinators. Most flowers are produced on young plants up to five years old, with some plants occasionally flowering up to 15 years of age. As the king protea lives in nutrient-deficient soils, only a small proportion of the flowers produce nutrient-rich seeds. These seeds are stored on the plant in fire proof cones, with seeds released, usually after a fire, when the cone dries out. The seeds of the king protea are dispersed by wind, and germinate after the first heavy autumn rains. The seeds are often consumed, and killed, by birds and mammals. After fires much of the above ground vegetation is burnt; however the king protea plant persists in an underground bole, from which it will sprout into several stems. http://i.imgur.com/kWIvyX9.jpg http://i.imgur.com/VIOSf68.jpg http://i.imgur.com/XnkMG2R.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1mP0Ymw.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/k1G5xAK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/YDsL4pD.jpg How beautiful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 18 October 2014 Paleontology Saturday Iguanodon Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived from about 139 to 90 million years ago, from the early to late Cretaceous period. Iguanodon was the second dinosaur ever discovered and it was one of the first dinosaurs to be named. When the first Iguanodon skeleton was discovered it was believed to walk much like an iguana, on all four legs. Its thumb spike was believed to be a horn on its head (only one thumb spike was found). At one point it was also thought to have lived in trees, but this has been since proven completely wrong. One of the more notable characteristics of the Iguanodon species is its "thumbs". Instead of a thumb it had a large spike that paleontologists believed Iguanodons used for defensive purposes, but could have also been used for getting food. The "pinky" finger of an Iguanodon is believed to have acted as its thumb. Palentologists belive that Iguanadon may have traveled in herds. In large herds of Iguanodons other dinosaurs, mainly the ankylosaur family, would join in the migrations to gain protection to the herd as a whole. It was mostly quadropedic, but could have stood up on its hind legs to reach tall plants or to run away quickly. Iguanodon was perhaps the most successful dinosaur species, with it and its relatives being found on nearly every continent. http://i.imgur.com/2w6JPxy.jpg http://i.imgur.com/WAWAixY.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7K9qq6E.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9MYjBXs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XY67WE6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KPPzPWR.jpgCool I love the white pattern on the second picture...That's how I'll imagine them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/sad/sad0090.gif 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/sad/sad0090.gif He'll be back for a certain holiday :hi: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 31 October 2014 FLORA FRIDAYHALLOWEEN SPECIALhttp://i.imgur.com/pgfaNdZ.jpg PUMPKINS AND SINISTER ORANGE FUNGI Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) A vine native to Mexico and the USA, Cucurbita pepo has been domesticated for thousands of years and is the source of an astonishing variety of cultivated forms, including Halloween pumpkins, courgettes (zucchini) and squashes. Archeological evidence shows it to be one of the world’s earliest domesticated species, first cultivated between 8000-10,000 years ago in Mesoamerica, probably southern Mexico. A broad diversity of inter-fertile C. pepo varieties and subspecies resulted from this 10,000 year cultivation period, producing fruits with such a vast array of different forms, colors and textures that the types are often misidentified as distinct species. These fruits include summer squashes (e.g. zucchini and pattypan), which are eaten as immature fruits with tender skin and soft seeds, and winter squashes (e.g. pumpkins and acorn squash) harvested in the fall as mature fruits with tough skin and hardened seeds which are usually removed prior to eating the fruit’s flesh. Cucurbita pepo grows as a large annual vine, historically in areas from sea level up to 2000 m. (6500 ft.) in altitude. It has large, showy, yellow-orange, insect-pollinated flowers and round, lobed leaves, often with fine hairy prickles. Like all species in the family, it is frost-sensitive. Various parts of C. pepo plants are edible including the fruit, flowers, young leaves and seeds, and it is an agricultural species of great importance, cultivated around the world. Seeds, leaves, sap and pulp have long been used for medicinal purposes including treatment of intestinal worms, urinary issues, and poultices for burns. The vines and fruit are used as fodder for livestock, and gourds used for a vast array of ornamental, traditional and functional purposes. http://i.imgur.com/vQyzHiQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/iRkQNuP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3m4AOXs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/IvCimMg.jpg Immature fruit: http://i.imgur.com/xrLbjVF.jpg Bud and flowers: http://i.imgur.com/GlMD2eG.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/yjx9dTW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2FjXouh.jpg http://i.imgur.com/hNwpp9y.png Jack O Lantern Fungus (Omphalodes olearius) http://i.imgur.com/iuT8XY8.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1evGAjG.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/gyJqUVf.jpg The Jack O'Lantern mushroom's name is derived from its orange color and the fact that the gills often glow eerily greenish (clearly visible under very dark conditions). This muscarine-containing poisonous mushroom with conspicuously decurrent gills (i.e., gills descending stalk) is widespread and locally common in eastern North America, growing in dense clusters on tree stumps and buried roots of oak and other hardwoods. The spore print is cream-colored. Orange Pore Fungus (Favolaschia calocera) http://i.imgur.com/aGcXLV7.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/l8Cr92L.jpg The beautiful orange pore fungus is one of those fungi that has spread beyond its native range distribution. It presents as a bright orange stalked fan, 5 mm–30 mm diameter, with prominent pores on the underside. This saprotrophic fungus occurs naturally in Madagascar and parts of southern Asia. It is an invasive species in New Zealand and also can be found in Australia and Italy. Orange Jelly (Dacrymyces palmatus) http://i.imgur.com/pshhrpV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KABbDC1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1NSAV5r.jpg This fungus inhabits dead pine trees whose bark has fallen away. It is shiny, bright yellow-orange, and lobed and convoluted, looking a bit like the surface of the brain. It dries to a reddish-orange or dark red-brown color, with a tough outer membrane. Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) http://i.imgur.com/dXFM0OH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qlq7kUn.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cb363TM.jpg Amanita muscaria is the classic European fairytale mushroom, bearing white gills and white warts on a typically bright red or orange cap. It is known to contains several toxic, psychoactive compounds. This species was originally described from Europe and recent genetic and morphological evidence suggests that there are a number of distinct species worldwide that have been lumped under this name. The fly agaric is an attractive, vibrantly coloured toadstool, which is familiar and instantly recognisable. It has a bright red cap, which fades to an orange or orange-yellowish colour with age. The fluffy white spots on the cap often take on a yellowish tinge as they grow old, and may occasionally be washed away by rain. The stem has a bulbous base, and tapers towards the cap. This fungus is dangerously poisonous and should NEVER be tasted. The name fly agaric derives from the fact that since medieval times it was commonly used as a fly killer, broken up in milk or sprinkled with sugar. http://i.imgur.com/a1BwpQ3.gif Finally, if your Halloween party gets out of control be sure to have plenty of these on hand: http://i.imgur.com/RqHyBDo.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Awesome!!! Well worth the wait. Especially all the the fantastic looking fungi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Absolutely amazing! :clap: :clap: :clap: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 08 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Amphicyon Amphicyon ("ambiguous dog") is an extinct genus of large carnivorous mammals, known as bear-dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae. They ranged over North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from 20.6—9 million years ago, existing approximately 11.6 million years. Amphicyon was the typical bear-dog amphicyonid with morphology similar to both bears and dogs. With its robust build and maximum length of 2.5 m (8 ft), the largest species looked more like a bear than a dog. It had a large heavy tail, thick neck, robust limbs and teeth like a wolf. Amphicyon was one of the larger examples of the bear dogs, and of the known species A. ingens from North America is often cited as one of the largest. It’s thought that the arrival of amphicyonine bear dogs in North America replaced older carnivores like Hyaenodon as the dominant predators of the land until they themselves were replaced by a combined emergence of new feline and canid predators. Although Amphicyon is thought by many to have been an omnivore, it still had dedicated adaptations for hunting. Its sheer physical size meant that it was capable of overpowering many of the potential prey items that it came into contact with, and the especially well developed forelimbs suggest it was capable of wrestling prey to the ground. However this strength came at the price of speed, so Amphicyon would have been restricted to prey that could not run away from it. The concept of pack behaviour in Amphicyon has been considered by some, but while it is a possibility there is so far very little in the way of direct evidence to support this behaviour. If Amphicyon was a solitary hunter it may have eventually had to go up against pack animals like wolves, and while some solitary predators can and do hold their ground against wolf packs (as can be witnessed today with grizzly bears stealing the kills from packs of grey wolves), this is not an absolute rule that can be applied to everything. Such competition could be a key part of the ultimate downfall of Amphicyon as a dominant carnivore, as well as a seeming shift of herbivorous prey animals becoming larger, faster and more powerful in their own rights, meaning that Amphicyon no longer had a size advantage, but possibly a size hindrance. http://i.imgur.com/AWcZrn5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Y1umOLF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tc6kzMV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Z9boZOm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7w8Z5vy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/HPejoFH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/haMXamC.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 08 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Amphicyon Amphicyon ("ambiguous dog") is an extinct genus of large carnivorous mammals, known as bear-dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae. They ranged over North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from 20.6—9 million years ago, existing approximately 11.6 million years. Amphicyon was the typical bear-dog amphicyonid with morphology similar to both bears and dogs. With its robust build and maximum length of 2.5 m (8 ft), the largest species looked more like a bear than a dog. It had a large heavy tail, thick neck, robust limbs and teeth like a wolf. Amphicyon was one of the larger examples of the bear dogs, and of the known species A. ingens from North America is often cited as one of the largest. It’s thought that the arrival of amphicyonine bear dogs in North America replaced older carnivores like Hyaenodon as the dominant predators of the land until they themselves were replaced by a combined emergence of new feline and canid predators. Although Amphicyon is thought by many to have been an omnivore, it still had dedicated adaptations for hunting. Its sheer physical size meant that it was capable of overpowering many of the potential prey items that it came into contact with, and the especially well developed forelimbs suggest it was capable of wrestling prey to the ground. However this strength came at the price of speed, so Amphicyon would have been restricted to prey that could not run away from it. The concept of pack behaviour in Amphicyon has been considered by some, but while it is a possibility there is so far very little in the way of direct evidence to support this behaviour. If Amphicyon was a solitary hunter it may have eventually had to go up against pack animals like wolves, and while some solitary predators can and do hold their ground against wolf packs (as can be witnessed today with grizzly bears stealing the kills from packs of grey wolves), this is not an absolute rule that can be applied to everything. Such competition could be a key part of the ultimate downfall of Amphicyon as a dominant carnivore, as well as a seeming shift of herbivorous prey animals becoming larger, faster and more powerful in their own rights, meaning that Amphicyon no longer had a size advantage, but possibly a size hindrance. http://i.imgur.com/AWcZrn5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Y1umOLF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tc6kzMV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Z9boZOm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7w8Z5vy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/HPejoFH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/haMXamC.jpg :clap:Wow! That's a huge jaw! Wouldn't want to get a bite from that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 08 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Amphicyon Amphicyon ("ambiguous dog") is an extinct genus of large carnivorous mammals, known as bear-dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae. They ranged over North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from 20.6—9 million years ago, existing approximately 11.6 million years. Amphicyon was the typical bear-dog amphicyonid with morphology similar to both bears and dogs. With its robust build and maximum length of 2.5 m (8 ft), the largest species looked more like a bear than a dog. It had a large heavy tail, thick neck, robust limbs and teeth like a wolf. Amphicyon was one of the larger examples of the bear dogs, and of the known species A. ingens from North America is often cited as one of the largest. It’s thought that the arrival of amphicyonine bear dogs in North America replaced older carnivores like Hyaenodon as the dominant predators of the land until they themselves were replaced by a combined emergence of new feline and canid predators. Although Amphicyon is thought by many to have been an omnivore, it still had dedicated adaptations for hunting. Its sheer physical size meant that it was capable of overpowering many of the potential prey items that it came into contact with, and the especially well developed forelimbs suggest it was capable of wrestling prey to the ground. However this strength came at the price of speed, so Amphicyon would have been restricted to prey that could not run away from it. The concept of pack behaviour in Amphicyon has been considered by some, but while it is a possibility there is so far very little in the way of direct evidence to support this behaviour. If Amphicyon was a solitary hunter it may have eventually had to go up against pack animals like wolves, and while some solitary predators can and do hold their ground against wolf packs (as can be witnessed today with grizzly bears stealing the kills from packs of grey wolves), this is not an absolute rule that can be applied to everything. Such competition could be a key part of the ultimate downfall of Amphicyon as a dominant carnivore, as well as a seeming shift of herbivorous prey animals becoming larger, faster and more powerful in their own rights, meaning that Amphicyon no longer had a size advantage, but possibly a size hindrance. http://i.imgur.com/AWcZrn5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Y1umOLF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tc6kzMV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Z9boZOm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7w8Z5vy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/HPejoFH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/haMXamC.jpg Good heavens! What a jaw! :o :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 09 November 2014Sunday Okapi Perhaps the most extraordinary fact about the okapi is that it was not known to science until 1901. Its taxonomic name, Okapia johnstoni, honours both its native Central African name, and that of the man who first ‘discovered’ it, Sir Harry Johnston, the British explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator. The native pygmies of Central Africa had known of this animal’s existence for generations, thinking it was a type of horse, which was how they described it to Sir Henry Morton Stanley. In fact, the okapi is a forest-living relative of the giraffe. Most of the information about the biology of the okapi is from captive animals. They are largely solitary and though once thought to be nocturnal, are now known to be active during the day. They feed largely on leaves, grasses, fruits and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why okapis eat charcoal from burned forest trees, as is evidenced from their dung. Carbon, in the form of charcoal, is an excellent antidote for toxin ingestion and recent observations in Zanzibar found red colobus monkeys eating charcoal from native cooking fires and kilns. It is also known that many other animals find sources of kaolin, a type of clay, to offset the effects of poisonous leaves and fruit in their diet. Male and female okapi live in home ranges, but they are not territorial and these ranges overlap. From observations on captive animals, it appears that male okapis mark their ranges with urine, by crossing their front legs, urinating on them, and then walking through their range. They will also urinate directly onto plants. Both males and females rub their necks against tree trunks. Mothers will not stray very far after giving birth, so the young okapi will remain close by until at least a few days old, in what is known as a ‘follower phase. It then becomes a ‘nester’ for a number of months, in which it lies in vegetation. During this intensive nesting phase, the calf is extremely efficient in the use of energy, primarily only nursing or sleeping. Towards the end of the intensive nesting phase, the calf can maintain its temperature properly, and so activates its rumens (the first chamber of its stomach), and defecates for the first time. This is thought to be a defence against predators. Okapi mothers use infrasonic communication to communicate with their calves. This is sound that is below the range of human hearing – also used by elephants. The okapi is found in forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was also formerly found in Uganda, but is now believed to be extinct there. Captive individuals have been known to live for up to 33 years. http://i.imgur.com/GQyVpIg.jpg http://i.imgur.com/i35Z5A5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/683sqzy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/W3QThEv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/BrrWeCl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1x0iuWV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/n6ZIg6y.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cfhVx9Q.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YA7oVNx.png 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 09 November 2014Sunday Okapi Perhaps the most extraordinary fact about the okapi is that it was not known to science until 1901. Its taxonomic name, Okapia johnstoni, honours both its native Central African name, and that of the man who first ‘discovered’ it, Sir Harry Johnston, the British explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator. The native pygmies of Central Africa had known of this animal’s existence for generations, thinking it was a type of horse, which was how they described it to Sir Henry Morton Stanley. In fact, the okapi is a forest-living relative of the giraffe. Most of the information about the biology of the okapi is from captive animals. They are largely solitary and though once thought to be nocturnal, are now known to be active during the day. They feed largely on leaves, grasses, fruits and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why okapis eat charcoal from burned forest trees, as is evidenced from their dung. Carbon, in the form of charcoal, is an excellent antidote for toxin ingestion and recent observations in Zanzibar found red colobus monkeys eating charcoal from native cooking fires and kilns. It is also known that many other animals find sources of kaolin, a type of clay, to offset the effects of poisonous leaves and fruit in their diet. Male and female okapi live in home ranges, but they are not territorial and these ranges overlap. From observations on captive animals, it appears that male okapis mark their ranges with urine, by crossing their front legs, urinating on them, and then walking through their range. They will also urinate directly onto plants. Both males and females rub their necks against tree trunks. Mothers will not stray very far after giving birth, so the young okapi will remain close by until at least a few days old, in what is known as a ‘follower phase. It then becomes a ‘nester’ for a number of months, in which it lies in vegetation. During this intensive nesting phase, the calf is extremely efficient in the use of energy, primarily only nursing or sleeping. Towards the end of the intensive nesting phase, the calf can maintain its temperature properly, and so activates its rumens (the first chamber of its stomach), and defecates for the first time. This is thought to be a defence against predators. Okapi mothers use infrasonic communication to communicate with their calves. This is sound that is below the range of human hearing – also used by elephants. The okapi is found in forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was also formerly found in Uganda, but is now believed to be extinct there. Captive individuals have been known to live for up to 33 years. http://i.imgur.com/GQyVpIg.jpg http://i.imgur.com/i35Z5A5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/683sqzy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/W3QThEv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/BrrWeCl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1x0iuWV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/n6ZIg6y.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cfhVx9Q.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YA7oVNx.png Incredible patterning! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 09 November 2014Sunday Okapi Perhaps the most extraordinary fact about the okapi is that it was not known to science until 1901. Its taxonomic name, Okapia johnstoni, honours both its native Central African name, and that of the man who first ‘discovered’ it, Sir Harry Johnston, the British explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator. The native pygmies of Central Africa had known of this animal’s existence for generations, thinking it was a type of horse, which was how they described it to Sir Henry Morton Stanley. In fact, the okapi is a forest-living relative of the giraffe. Most of the information about the biology of the okapi is from captive animals. They are largely solitary and though once thought to be nocturnal, are now known to be active during the day. They feed largely on leaves, grasses, fruits and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why okapis eat charcoal from burned forest trees, as is evidenced from their dung. Carbon, in the form of charcoal, is an excellent antidote for toxin ingestion and recent observations in Zanzibar found red colobus monkeys eating charcoal from native cooking fires and kilns. It is also known that many other animals find sources of kaolin, a type of clay, to offset the effects of poisonous leaves and fruit in their diet. Male and female okapi live in home ranges, but they are not territorial and these ranges overlap. From observations on captive animals, it appears that male okapis mark their ranges with urine, by crossing their front legs, urinating on them, and then walking through their range. They will also urinate directly onto plants. Both males and females rub their necks against tree trunks. Mothers will not stray very far after giving birth, so the young okapi will remain close by until at least a few days old, in what is known as a ‘follower phase. It then becomes a ‘nester’ for a number of months, in which it lies in vegetation. During this intensive nesting phase, the calf is extremely efficient in the use of energy, primarily only nursing or sleeping. Towards the end of the intensive nesting phase, the calf can maintain its temperature properly, and so activates its rumens (the first chamber of its stomach), and defecates for the first time. This is thought to be a defence against predators. Okapi mothers use infrasonic communication to communicate with their calves. This is sound that is below the range of human hearing – also used by elephants. The okapi is found in forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was also formerly found in Uganda, but is now believed to be extinct there. Captive individuals have been known to live for up to 33 years. http://i.imgur.com/GQyVpIg.jpg http://i.imgur.com/i35Z5A5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/683sqzy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/W3QThEv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/BrrWeCl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1x0iuWV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/n6ZIg6y.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cfhVx9Q.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YA7oVNx.png Looks like a cross between a horse and a zebra! :)And what a cute baby! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 10 November 2014Monday Coconut Crab The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is a type of land hermit crab with a spectacular appearance and intriguing biology. Able to grow to relatively gigantic proportions, the coconut crab is probably the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. Unlike most other hermit crabs, only the very small coconut crab juveniles find and use gastropod shells to protect their soft-skinned abdomen as they develop. Larger juveniles abandon the shell-carrying habit and instead their abdomen develops a hard skin, the exoskeleton, over the rest of the body. This protects the crab, reduces water loss and does not restrict its growth, allowing it to reach up to a metre in size toe-to-toe. This huge crustacean is well adapted to life on land with long strong legs. It also has large muscular claws which are used for husking coconuts and opening the shell to eat the flesh. This is a unique behaviour amongst crabs and explains why this species is called the coconut crab. The claws are in fact so powerful they can lift objects such as vegetation or rocks weighing up to 28 kilograms. Its stalked eyes are red and this crab’s body colour varies between islands from purplish-blue to orange-red. The coconut crab is almost entirely terrestrial and has adapted so well to living on land that it actually drowns in water. However, it does still breathe through modified gills. The gills are surrounded by spongy tissues which need to be kept moist. The coconut crab does this by dipping its legs into water and passing them over the gills. The crab does require some contact with the sea as it often drinks the water to maintain its salt balance, and females need to return to sea to release eggs. By day the coconut crab inhabits burrows where it is protected from desiccation and intruders, and by night it goes in search of food. As its name suggests this crab feeds on coconuts, and is actually able to climb coconut palms, where it is thought to pinch off coconuts with its powerful claws when coconuts are not already available on the ground. If the coconut does not break open on its fall, the crab husks the coconuts by pulling back the husk from the end that was formerly attached to the palm, and evidence indicates that they then pierce the "soft eye" with a pointed walking leg, before gradually enlarging the hole by breaking off sections of the shell until they can reach in to scoop out the flesh. This crab feeds on more than just coconuts, however, and will scavenge for anything organic from fruit to leaves. It also feeds on the moulted exoskeletons of other crustacean species, which are thought to provide calcium for its own carapace growth. These crabs are slow growing, and there is good evidence that they live to be more than 40 years old. The coconut crab is found on oceanic islands and small offshore islets adjacent to large continental islands across a broad geographical range in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, with reports stretching from the Aldabras Islands in the Indian ocean to the Pitcairn group and Easter Island in the Pacific ocean. http://i.imgur.com/86wOfgD.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SHs2ciZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qzYYCqb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/I0b8g0b.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/piHew5b.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VQ6dmrz.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/toK2s8e.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 (edited) ^ Is that Brian Cox? That's Brian Cox! Top notch FF&F post Sean. Every now and then you'll make one that reminds me that the world actually is an interesting place. Edited November 10, 2014 by Mr. Not 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 ^ Is that Brian Cox? That's Brian Cox! Top notch FF&F post Sean. Every now and then you'll make one that reminds me that the world actually is an interesting place. Only every now and then? http://media.tumblr.com/64b2aae3c314f0a1c7e4048ee4282355/tumblr_inline_n0ueot7rJC1qhyo98.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 (edited) ^ Is that Brian Cox? That's Brian Cox! Top notch FF&F post Sean. Every now and then you'll make one that reminds me that the world actually is an interesting place. Only every now and then? http://media.tumblr.com/64b2aae3c314f0a1c7e4048ee4282355/tumblr_inline_n0ueot7rJC1qhyo98.gif http://i.imgur.com/daOTVvd.gif Compliment withdrawn. Edited November 11, 2014 by Mr. Not 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1yyz Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Those coconut crabs are creepy! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/crab-blood.jpg Horseshoe crabs have bright blue blood. They are like aliens. Nature, you are weird. Besides being blue, horseshoe crab blood has another amazing property: It clots when it comes into contact with foreign bacteria. In other words, this stuff’s ideal for detecting impurities. And humans use it to do just that, in products like pharmaceutical drugs.But humans are amazing, too, and they have found a way to steal some of this blood (it’s worth more than $10,000 a quart!) without killing the crabs. Okay, without killing most of them. They hook up the crabs to vampire machines, take what they want, and return the crabs to the bay. Most survive the process, though some have to be taken to Miracle Max afterwards.At least one human, biologist Carl Shuster, worried a little bit about the 3 to 15 percent of crabs that don’t survive their ordeal on The Machine. He talked the government into creating a horseshoe crab preserve, where crabs can live free of fear of the red-blooded, white-faced monsters that grab them from their homes and suck out their blood. http://grist.org/lis...ght-blue-blood/ http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs28/300W/f/2008/055/a/f/Horseshoe_Crabs_by_Xenothere.png 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Those coconut crabs are creepy! http://youtu.be/HeqQAqodaBE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 10 November 2014Monday Coconut Crab The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is a type of land hermit crab with a spectacular appearance and intriguing biology. Able to grow to relatively gigantic proportions, the coconut crab is probably the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. Unlike most other hermit crabs, only the very small coconut crab juveniles find and use gastropod shells to protect their soft-skinned abdomen as they develop. Larger juveniles abandon the shell-carrying habit and instead their abdomen develops a hard skin, the exoskeleton, over the rest of the body. This protects the crab, reduces water loss and does not restrict its growth, allowing it to reach up to a metre in size toe-to-toe. This huge crustacean is well adapted to life on land with long strong legs. It also has large muscular claws which are used for husking coconuts and opening the shell to eat the flesh. This is a unique behaviour amongst crabs and explains why this species is called the coconut crab. The claws are in fact so powerful they can lift objects such as vegetation or rocks weighing up to 28 kilograms. Its stalked eyes are red and this crab’s body colour varies between islands from purplish-blue to orange-red. The coconut crab is almost entirely terrestrial and has adapted so well to living on land that it actually drowns in water. However, it does still breathe through modified gills. The gills are surrounded by spongy tissues which need to be kept moist. The coconut crab does this by dipping its legs into water and passing them over the gills. The crab does require some contact with the sea as it often drinks the water to maintain its salt balance, and females need to return to sea to release eggs. By day the coconut crab inhabits burrows where it is protected from desiccation and intruders, and by night it goes in search of food. As its name suggests this crab feeds on coconuts, and is actually able to climb coconut palms, where it is thought to pinch off coconuts with its powerful claws when coconuts are not already available on the ground. If the coconut does not break open on its fall, the crab husks the coconuts by pulling back the husk from the end that was formerly attached to the palm, and evidence indicates that they then pierce the "soft eye" with a pointed walking leg, before gradually enlarging the hole by breaking off sections of the shell until they can reach in to scoop out the flesh. This crab feeds on more than just coconuts, however, and will scavenge for anything organic from fruit to leaves. It also feeds on the moulted exoskeletons of other crustacean species, which are thought to provide calcium for its own carapace growth. These crabs are slow growing, and there is good evidence that they live to be more than 40 years old. The coconut crab is found on oceanic islands and small offshore islets adjacent to large continental islands across a broad geographical range in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, with reports stretching from the Aldabras Islands in the Indian ocean to the Pitcairn group and Easter Island in the Pacific ocean. http://i.imgur.com/86wOfgD.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SHs2ciZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qzYYCqb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/I0b8g0b.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/piHew5b.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VQ6dmrz.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/toK2s8e.jpg I've never seen a coconut crab before! :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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