Babycat Posted November 11, 2014 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 Is that Brian Cox getting slapped? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 11, 2014 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 Why is their blood being put into milk bottles? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1yyz Posted November 11, 2014 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 Horseshoe crabs (which aren't actual crabs at all; they belong to a separate sub-phylum within Arthropoda) are in danger of extinction, partially from the blood extraction trade, and partially because they are caught and used for bait for other sea life. They're more closely related to the ancient, now-extinct trilobites. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 11 November 2014Tuesday Horseflies Apart from entomologists, there are probably few people who would actively look for horse-flies. For their size, they have one of the most painful bites of any insect and the bite can result in a painful swelling. They can cause problems in grazing animals by transmitting various diseases, including anthrax, and reducing milk output in dairy cattle. Blood-sucking is carried out only by the females and their mouth-parts have blade-like appendages that can cut through tough animal skin with ease. Female horse-flies require blood to help produce eggs whereas males feed on nectar from flowers. Horse-flies lay their eggs in the mud of river banks or in damp earth. The larvae hatch and some are predatory, feeding on the grubs of other mud-dwelling insects. They can paralyse their prey by injecting them with venom, which also pre-digests the grub, allowing the horse-fly larva to suck their victim dry. The larvae pupate just below the surface, and over-winter in this state. The adult flies emerge through small holes in the mud in May, and are on the wing until September. Horse-flies have an extensive world range and are only absent from some isolated island groups such as Hawaii and the colder Arctic regions. http://i.imgur.com/ddieR9A.jpg Photos are of the Black Horsefly (Tabanus atratus). http://i.imgur.com/huOn3Pb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/K18VC8Q.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wrRJmlN.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/D8czEA6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qT4uqp2.jpg Female ovipositing: http://i.imgur.com/ddaM2Yl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/eRjwYHK.jpg Horsefly named after Beyoncé 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1yyz Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Those horseflies are life-size, aren't they? ;) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 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! :)Neither have I. They look cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 11 November 2014Tuesday Horseflies Apart from entomologists, there are probably few people who would actively look for horse-flies. For their size, they have one of the most painful bites of any insect and the bite can result in a painful swelling. They can cause problems in grazing animals by transmitting various diseases, including anthrax, and reducing milk output in dairy cattle. Blood-sucking is carried out only by the females and their mouth-parts have blade-like appendages that can cut through tough animal skin with ease. Female horse-flies require blood to help produce eggs whereas males feed on nectar from flowers. Horse-flies lay their eggs in the mud of river banks or in damp earth. The larvae hatch and some are predatory, feeding on the grubs of other mud-dwelling insects. They can paralyse their prey by injecting them with venom, which also pre-digests the grub, allowing the horse-fly larva to suck their victim dry. The larvae pupate just below the surface, and over-winter in this state. The adult flies emerge through small holes in the mud in May, and are on the wing until September. Horse-flies have an extensive world range and are only absent from some isolated island groups such as Hawaii and the colder Arctic regions. http://i.imgur.com/ddieR9A.jpg Photos are of the Black Horsefly (Tabanus atratus). http://i.imgur.com/huOn3Pb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/K18VC8Q.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wrRJmlN.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/D8czEA6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qT4uqp2.jpg Female ovipositing: http://i.imgur.com/ddaM2Yl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/eRjwYHK.jpg Horsefly named after Beyoncé Damn, they're big. And what creepy eyes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 ^ Is that Brian Cox? That's Brian Cox!Nope...the real Brian Cox is an actorhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/ That's Professor Brian Cox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 12 November 2014Wednesday Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) This beautiful, pheasant-sized bird is native to South America's Amazon and Orinoco deltas. Adult Hoatzins are approximately 24 to 26 inches in length. They have blue skin covering their faces and their eyes are red. The outer feathers are primarily chestnut-brown and the long tail is bronze-green and ends in a white band. The heads of Hoatzins are topped with a crest of reddish-brown feathers. The young are born without feathers but develop a layer of black down shortly after birth. A distinguishing feature of young Hoatzins are the pair of functional wing claws which are found on the ends of their wings on the first and second fingers. This feature is lost when the bird matures into an adult. Hoatzins are primarily folivores. Although they typically feed on less than twelve species of plants, they are capable of eating the leaves of more than fifty different species. The leaves of tropical legume plants are an example of a leaf that Hoatzins commonly feed on. Other foods that are sometimes included in the diet of Hoatzins include some flowers and fruits. Opisthocomus hoazin have developed a special system that allows them to feed on leaves. They have an enlarged crop in which symbiotic bacteria are stored and used to break down the cell walls of the leaves, allowing for them to be digested. This process is called foregut fermentation and O. hoazin are the only birds with this type of digestive system. The bacteria within the crop also act as a source of nutrients for Hoatzins by occasionally getting moved into their stomachs. The bacteria are introduced to young Hoatzins when an adult regurgitates a sticky substance containing large amounts of the bacteria and feeds it to the young. Opisthocomus hoazin do not begin breeding until after their first year of life. The breeding season of O. hoazin occurs during the same time as the rainy season of their territory. Hoatzins build their nests on branches over the water about 6 to 15 feet above the surface. They normally lay two to three eggs and the incubation period lasts thirty-two days. Both male and female brood the young, which typically remain in the nest for two to three weeks after they hatch. http://i.imgur.com/mV5S4wJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/cn8pKeV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/OIa7khh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ZCDem8A.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Rxc8HnF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wVxQGcf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qm1c1p8.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/0YR1jWc.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ArV1umn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/mtBlWGf.png 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 12 November 2014Wednesday Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) This beautiful, pheasant-sized bird is native to South America's Amazon and Orinoco deltas. Adult Hoatzins are approximately 24 to 26 inches in length. They have blue skin covering their faces and their eyes are red. The outer feathers are primarily chestnut-brown and the long tail is bronze-green and ends in a white band. The heads of Hoatzins are topped with a crest of reddish-brown feathers. The young are born without feathers but develop a layer of black down shortly after birth. A distinguishing feature of young Hoatzins are the pair of functional wing claws which are found on the ends of their wings on the first and second fingers. This feature is lost when the bird matures into an adult. Hoatzins are primarily folivores. Although they typically feed on less than twelve species of plants, they are capable of eating the leaves of more than fifty different species. The leaves of tropical legume plants are an example of a leaf that Hoatzins commonly feed on. Other foods that are sometimes included in the diet of Hoatzins include some flowers and fruits. Opisthocomus hoazin have developed a special system that allows them to feed on leaves. They have an enlarged crop in which symbiotic bacteria are stored and used to break down the cell walls of the leaves, allowing for them to be digested. This process is called foregut fermentation and O. hoazin are the only birds with this type of digestive system. The bacteria within the crop also act as a source of nutrients for Hoatzins by occasionally getting moved into their stomachs. The bacteria are introduced to young Hoatzins when an adult regurgitates a sticky substance containing large amounts of the bacteria and feeds it to the young. Opisthocomus hoazin do not begin breeding until after their first year of life. The breeding season of O. hoazin occurs during the same time as the rainy season of their territory. Hoatzins build their nests on branches over the water about 6 to 15 feet above the surface. They normally lay two to three eggs and the incubation period lasts thirty-two days. Both male and female brood the young, which typically remain in the nest for two to three weeks after they hatch. http://i.imgur.com/mV5S4wJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/cn8pKeV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/OIa7khh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ZCDem8A.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Rxc8HnF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wVxQGcf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qm1c1p8.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/0YR1jWc.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ArV1umn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/mtBlWGf.png Love the crest and the red eyes. Kinda looks like the punk rocker of the bird world 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 13 November 2014Thursday Serval Built for height rather than speed, the serval (Leptailurus serval) is a tall, slender cat with the longest legs relative to body size of any cat species. It has a long neck and a narrow face dominated by enormous, oval ears which it uses to scan vegetation for sounds of prey. Black spots, varying in size and shape, pattern its tawny fur and in some instances merge to form stripes on the back and neck. Furthermore, in parts of the serval’s range, all-black forms are fairly common. The serval is most active from dusk to dawn, but will sometimes hunt during the day, particularly when the weather is cool or overcast. Moving slowly through long grass, it uses its huge ears and height advantage to detect prey in the surrounding vegetation. On locating prey, it stealthily approaches and then pounces up to three metres into the air to strike down with its forepaws. This technique is typically employed to catch rodents and other small animals off the ground, but remarkably the serval is also able to catch birds and insects in flight. As a less energetic alternative to pouncing, the serval will also use its long legs to investigate holes and crevices, and will sometimes venture into water to catch live fish. The serval is typically a solitary species, with pairs only coming together for a few days when the female is in heat. The gestation period lasts around 74 days, after which the female normally gives birth to a litter of one to four kittens. When with young, the female is forced to spend considerably more time than usual hunting and consequently less time resting. After around a year, the female chases the young from the natal area but tolerates female offspring for a few months longer than males. The serval is found in Africa and is widely distributed in most countries south of the Sahara. In North Africa there are only a few recent records of isolated populations in Morocco and northern Algeria. Found in most types of grasslands, the serval is most common in moist habitats such as reed beds and marshes. Although absent from desert, semi-desert and dense forest, servals sometimes occur on forest edges and wooded areas interspersed with grassy glades. http://i.imgur.com/vXhs1JP.jpg http://i.imgur.com/xqEqgXE.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/b9pFX7f.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kWKL372.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CEw6bzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TJyvbyS.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/l993MOH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mgMUWyc.jpg Black form: http://i.imgur.com/p8KkE5o.png 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 11 November 2014Tuesday Horseflies Apart from entomologists, there are probably few people who would actively look for horse-flies. For their size, they have one of the most painful bites of any insect and the bite can result in a painful swelling. They can cause problems in grazing animals by transmitting various diseases, including anthrax, and reducing milk output in dairy cattle. Blood-sucking is carried out only by the females and their mouth-parts have blade-like appendages that can cut through tough animal skin with ease. Female horse-flies require blood to help produce eggs whereas males feed on nectar from flowers. Horse-flies lay their eggs in the mud of river banks or in damp earth. The larvae hatch and some are predatory, feeding on the grubs of other mud-dwelling insects. They can paralyse their prey by injecting them with venom, which also pre-digests the grub, allowing the horse-fly larva to suck their victim dry. The larvae pupate just below the surface, and over-winter in this state. The adult flies emerge through small holes in the mud in May, and are on the wing until September. Horse-flies have an extensive world range and are only absent from some isolated island groups such as Hawaii and the colder Arctic regions. http://i.imgur.com/ddieR9A.jpg Photos are of the Black Horsefly (Tabanus atratus). http://i.imgur.com/huOn3Pb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/K18VC8Q.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wrRJmlN.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/D8czEA6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qT4uqp2.jpg Female ovipositing: http://i.imgur.com/ddaM2Yl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/eRjwYHK.jpg Horsefly named after Beyoncé Holy crap! :o So that's what a Horsefly looks like! :outtahere: Just before I scarper, I noticed the word "anthrax" - is that where a particular band got its name from? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 13 November 2014Thursday Serval Built for height rather than speed, the serval (Leptailurus serval) is a tall, slender cat with the longest legs relative to body size of any cat species. It has a long neck and a narrow face dominated by enormous, oval ears which it uses to scan vegetation for sounds of prey. Black spots, varying in size and shape, pattern its tawny fur and in some instances merge to form stripes on the back and neck. Furthermore, in parts of the serval’s range, all-black forms are fairly common. The serval is most active from dusk to dawn, but will sometimes hunt during the day, particularly when the weather is cool or overcast. Moving slowly through long grass, it uses its huge ears and height advantage to detect prey in the surrounding vegetation. On locating prey, it stealthily approaches and then pounces up to three metres into the air to strike down with its forepaws. This technique is typically employed to catch rodents and other small animals off the ground, but remarkably the serval is also able to catch birds and insects in flight. As a less energetic alternative to pouncing, the serval will also use its long legs to investigate holes and crevices, and will sometimes venture into water to catch live fish. The serval is typically a solitary species, with pairs only coming together for a few days when the female is in heat. The gestation period lasts around 74 days, after which the female normally gives birth to a litter of one to four kittens. When with young, the female is forced to spend considerably more time than usual hunting and consequently less time resting. After around a year, the female chases the young from the natal area but tolerates female offspring for a few months longer than males. The serval is found in Africa and is widely distributed in most countries south of the Sahara. In North Africa there are only a few recent records of isolated populations in Morocco and northern Algeria. Found in most types of grasslands, the serval is most common in moist habitats such as reed beds and marshes. Although absent from desert, semi-desert and dense forest, servals sometimes occur on forest edges and wooded areas interspersed with grassy glades. http://i.imgur.com/vXhs1JP.jpg http://i.imgur.com/xqEqgXE.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/b9pFX7f.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kWKL372.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CEw6bzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TJyvbyS.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/l993MOH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mgMUWyc.jpg Black form: http://i.imgur.com/p8KkE5o.png Beauties :) long legs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 13 November 2014Thursday Serval Built for height rather than speed, the serval (Leptailurus serval) is a tall, slender cat with the longest legs relative to body size of any cat species. It has a long neck and a narrow face dominated by enormous, oval ears which it uses to scan vegetation for sounds of prey. Black spots, varying in size and shape, pattern its tawny fur and in some instances merge to form stripes on the back and neck. Furthermore, in parts of the serval’s range, all-black forms are fairly common. The serval is most active from dusk to dawn, but will sometimes hunt during the day, particularly when the weather is cool or overcast. Moving slowly through long grass, it uses its huge ears and height advantage to detect prey in the surrounding vegetation. On locating prey, it stealthily approaches and then pounces up to three metres into the air to strike down with its forepaws. This technique is typically employed to catch rodents and other small animals off the ground, but remarkably the serval is also able to catch birds and insects in flight. As a less energetic alternative to pouncing, the serval will also use its long legs to investigate holes and crevices, and will sometimes venture into water to catch live fish. The serval is typically a solitary species, with pairs only coming together for a few days when the female is in heat. The gestation period lasts around 74 days, after which the female normally gives birth to a litter of one to four kittens. When with young, the female is forced to spend considerably more time than usual hunting and consequently less time resting. After around a year, the female chases the young from the natal area but tolerates female offspring for a few months longer than males. The serval is found in Africa and is widely distributed in most countries south of the Sahara. In North Africa there are only a few recent records of isolated populations in Morocco and northern Algeria. Found in most types of grasslands, the serval is most common in moist habitats such as reed beds and marshes. Although absent from desert, semi-desert and dense forest, servals sometimes occur on forest edges and wooded areas interspersed with grassy glades. http://i.imgur.com/vXhs1JP.jpg http://i.imgur.com/xqEqgXE.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/b9pFX7f.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kWKL372.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CEw6bzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TJyvbyS.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/l993MOH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mgMUWyc.jpg Black form: http://i.imgur.com/p8KkE5o.png Magnificent! :ebert:And that baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 14 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Coco-de-mer (Lodoicea maldivica) The awesome coco-de-mer (Lodoicea maldivica) is a giant of the plant world; this palm has some of the longest leaves and the largest and heaviest seeds of any plant in the world. The tall slender trunk may tower up to 34 metres in height, bearing at its crown a mass of palm fronds. In mature individuals the leaf blades may be 4.5 metres wide and are fringed at the edges; withered leaves hang from the palm below the vibrant, healthy green crown. Unlike other Seychelles palms, the male and female flowers of the coco-de-mer are borne on separate trees; the male catkins can reach up to a metre in length, making them the longest in the world. Possibly the most renowned feature of this palm tree, however, are its enormous seeds; over the ages mariners have seen these seeds washed up on deserted beaches or riding the waves and they have become known as the ‘coconuts of the sea’, appearing to come from some mysterious oceanic plant. The seeds usually have two lobes and can weigh up to an enormous 30 kg. * Coco-de-mer palms take 25 years to reach maturity and start bearing fruit, and the fruits themselves reach maturity after a further 7 years. Once fallen to the forest floor, the fruit wall disintegrates over 6 months and germination takes another 2 years. Coco-de-mer flowers are visited by a variety of different animals such as bees, slugs and geckos, with pollination carried out by small insects such as flies. Endemic to the Seychelles, natural stands of the coco-de-mer are only found on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse, although individuals have been introduced to other islands and there is a population on Silhouette Island. * The nut of the coco de mer is very large (the largest seed in the plant kingdom) and is oddly shaped, being the shape and size of a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. Not surprisingly, this nut was viewed by people in other parts of the world as a rare and fascinating object with mythological and even magical properties. The nature and origin of this extraordinary nut was mysterious, and the propagation of the tree was not understood. A number of legends arose both about the nuts, and about the trees that produce them. http://i.imgur.com/ZHWjHmq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jPHlabH.jpg Immature fruit: http://i.imgur.com/QBMBT4N.jpg Male catkins: http://i.imgur.com/annVRx5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pXjbHQS.jpg Seed: http://i.imgur.com/wb5yNrH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ubxfr3g.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/nTTk3rm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RIA10uL.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/N7P79MQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/JoVnNr6.jpg http://i.imgur.com/go2MQaJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VYewbUD.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SGgYlAR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1zuYsrr.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 * The nut of the coco de mer is very large (the largest seed in the plant kingdom) and is oddly shaped, being the shape and size of a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. Not to mention the Male Catkins is completely phallic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 * The nut of the coco de mer is very large (the largest seed in the plant kingdom) and is oddly shaped, being the shape and size of a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. Not to mention the Male Catkins is completely phallic http://cultura.biografieonline.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/coco-de-mer.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) 14 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Coco-de-mer (Lodoicea maldivica) The awesome coco-de-mer (Lodoicea maldivica) is a giant of the plant world; this palm has some of the longest leaves and the largest and heaviest seeds of any plant in the world. The tall slender trunk may tower up to 34 metres in height, bearing at its crown a mass of palm fronds. In mature individuals the leaf blades may be 4.5 metres wide and are fringed at the edges; withered leaves hang from the palm below the vibrant, healthy green crown. Unlike other Seychelles palms, the male and female flowers of the coco-de-mer are borne on separate trees; the male catkins can reach up to a metre in length, making them the longest in the world. Possibly the most renowned feature of this palm tree, however, are its enormous seeds; over the ages mariners have seen these seeds washed up on deserted beaches or riding the waves and they have become known as the ‘coconuts of the sea’, appearing to come from some mysterious oceanic plant. The seeds usually have two lobes and can weigh up to an enormous 30 kg. * Coco-de-mer palms take 25 years to reach maturity and start bearing fruit, and the fruits themselves reach maturity after a further 7 years. Once fallen to the forest floor, the fruit wall disintegrates over 6 months and germination takes another 2 years. Coco-de-mer flowers are visited by a variety of different animals such as bees, slugs and geckos, with pollination carried out by small insects such as flies. Endemic to the Seychelles, natural stands of the coco-de-mer are only found on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse, although individuals have been introduced to other islands and there is a population on Silhouette Island. * The nut of the coco de mer is very large (the largest seed in the plant kingdom) and is oddly shaped, being the shape and size of a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. Not surprisingly, this nut was viewed by people in other parts of the world as a rare and fascinating object with mythological and even magical properties. The nature and origin of this extraordinary nut was mysterious, and the propagation of the tree was not understood. A number of legends arose both about the nuts, and about the trees that produce them. http://i.imgur.com/ZHWjHmq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jPHlabH.jpg Immature fruit: http://i.imgur.com/QBMBT4N.jpg Male catkins: http://i.imgur.com/annVRx5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pXjbHQS.jpg Seed: http://i.imgur.com/wb5yNrH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ubxfr3g.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/nTTk3rm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RIA10uL.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/N7P79MQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/JoVnNr6.jpg http://i.imgur.com/go2MQaJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VYewbUD.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SGgYlAR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1zuYsrr.jpg Cool looking trees Interesting looking...bit and pieces Edited November 15, 2014 by Your_Lion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 15 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Allosaurus Living between 156 and 145 million years ago, Allosaurus were the largest carnivores of the Jurassic and lived at a time that allowed them to spread across the world. Allosaurus, meaning "different, other-lizard", was one of the largest Jurassic predators known, growing in average up to 30 feet (9 meters) while larger animals could grow up to 35 feet (10 meters). It had a large skull with eye ridges, and claws designed for gripping. Allosaurus' skull was double hinged. This allowed it to open its mouth extremely wide, allowing it to have a huge bite radius. One hinge was near the front of the jaw like a snake's, and the other was near the back of the jawbone. However, recent studies seem to show that Allosaurus had a relatively low bite force, much less than the value of sharks and crocodiles and even inferior to that of most big cats, despite being much bigger. It seems that Allosaurus attacked like an axe, using its double-hinged jaw to open really wide and dropping the top part of its skull into its prey with a large amount of pressure while holding it steady with its strong arms. A constant repetition of this method would have led to a massive amount of blood loss and shock. It was a very efficient way of killing, and it's probably why Allosaurus was so successful as a hunter. Like many of the more famous dinosaurs, the Allosaurus also became its own family name, meaning an Allosaurus is an allosaurid from the allosauridae family, and as the number of new discoveries has grown over the years, so has the family of allosaurids. Like many species, several dinosaur remains have been described as Allosaurus . However, several of these have recently been removed and placed in the allosaurid family (meaning they are still closely related to Allosaurus but they are not actually an Allosaurus ) or have found themselves in another family all together. http://i.imgur.com/Ij7SvtV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/G9osZdJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ocio7wP.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/8Dxl5h9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Lf0ASgv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2E273rh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KHfrz0l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/4FThGzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LYJcDWH.jpg Allosaurus Died From Stegosaur Spike To The Crotch 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 (edited) 15 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Allosaurus Living between 156 and 145 million years ago, Allosaurus were the largest carnivores of the Jurassic and lived at a time that allowed them to spread across the world. Allosaurus, meaning "different, other-lizard", was one of the largest Jurassic predators known, growing in average up to 30 feet (9 meters) while larger animals could grow up to 35 feet (10 meters). It had a large skull with eye ridges, and claws designed for gripping. Allosaurus' skull was double hinged. This allowed it to open its mouth extremely wide, allowing it to have a huge bite radius. One hinge was near the front of the jaw like a snake's, and the other was near the back of the jawbone. However, recent studies seem to show that Allosaurus had a relatively low bite force, much less than the value of sharks and crocodiles and even inferior to that of most big cats, despite being much bigger. It seems that Allosaurus attacked like an axe, using its double-hinged jaw to open really wide and dropping the top part of its skull into its prey with a large amount of pressure while holding it steady with its strong arms. A constant repetition of this method would have led to a massive amount of blood loss and shock. It was a very efficient way of killing, and it's probably why Allosaurus was so successful as a hunter. Like many of the more famous dinosaurs, the Allosaurus also became its own family name, meaning an Allosaurus is an allosaurid from the allosauridae family, and as the number of new discoveries has grown over the years, so has the family of allosaurids. Like many species, several dinosaur remains have been described as Allosaurus . However, several of these have recently been removed and placed in the allosaurid family (meaning they are still closely related to Allosaurus but they are not actually an Allosaurus ) or have found themselves in another family all together. http://i.imgur.com/Ij7SvtV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/G9osZdJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ocio7wP.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/8Dxl5h9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Lf0ASgv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2E273rh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KHfrz0l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/4FThGzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LYJcDWH.jpg Allosaurus Died From Stegosaur Spike To The CrotchNice It's always interesting seeing those huge skeletons ouch, I bet that's not a pleasant way to go! :o Edited November 16, 2014 by Your_Lion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 * The nut of the coco de mer is very large (the largest seed in the plant kingdom) and is oddly shaped, being the shape and size of a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. Not to mention the Male Catkins is completely phallic http://cultura.biografieonline.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/coco-de-mer.jpg I say..! :o 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 15 November 2014 Paleontology Saturday Allosaurus Living between 156 and 145 million years ago, Allosaurus were the largest carnivores of the Jurassic and lived at a time that allowed them to spread across the world. Allosaurus, meaning "different, other-lizard", was one of the largest Jurassic predators known, growing in average up to 30 feet (9 meters) while larger animals could grow up to 35 feet (10 meters). It had a large skull with eye ridges, and claws designed for gripping. Allosaurus' skull was double hinged. This allowed it to open its mouth extremely wide, allowing it to have a huge bite radius. One hinge was near the front of the jaw like a snake's, and the other was near the back of the jawbone. However, recent studies seem to show that Allosaurus had a relatively low bite force, much less than the value of sharks and crocodiles and even inferior to that of most big cats, despite being much bigger. It seems that Allosaurus attacked like an axe, using its double-hinged jaw to open really wide and dropping the top part of its skull into its prey with a large amount of pressure while holding it steady with its strong arms. A constant repetition of this method would have led to a massive amount of blood loss and shock. It was a very efficient way of killing, and it's probably why Allosaurus was so successful as a hunter. Like many of the more famous dinosaurs, the Allosaurus also became its own family name, meaning an Allosaurus is an allosaurid from the allosauridae family, and as the number of new discoveries has grown over the years, so has the family of allosaurids. Like many species, several dinosaur remains have been described as Allosaurus . However, several of these have recently been removed and placed in the allosaurid family (meaning they are still closely related to Allosaurus but they are not actually an Allosaurus ) or have found themselves in another family all together. http://i.imgur.com/Ij7SvtV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/G9osZdJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ocio7wP.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/8Dxl5h9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Lf0ASgv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2E273rh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KHfrz0l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/4FThGzT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LYJcDWH.jpg Allosaurus Died From Stegosaur Spike To The Crotch Awesome creatures, but... oh the agony of where that spike would've gone..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 16 November 2014Sunday Philippine Eagle The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is the world's largest eagle, and one of the most threatened raptors. The male and female Philippine eagle are similar in appearance, possessing a creamy white belly and underwing, whilst the upper parts are a rich chocolate-brown, with a paler edge. The long feathers of the head and nape form a distinctive, shaggy crest and are creamy-buff in colour with black streaks. Philippine eagle chicks have white down, and juveniles are similar in appearance to adults but have white margins to the feathers on the back and upperwing. The Philippine eagle has heavy, yellow legs with large, powerful claws, and the large, deep bill is a bluish-grey. The Philippine eagle can live to between 30 and 60 years of age. It feeds mainly on flying lemurs, palm civets and monkeys, hence the alternative common name of 'monkey-eating eagle'. Other prey items include rats, snakes, flying squirrels, birds and bats. Individuals hunt from perches and slowly move downhill from perch to perch before soaring back up the hill upon reaching the bottom. Philippine eagle pairs have been observed hunting together; one individual acts as a decoy, drawing the attention of a group of monkeys towards it while its partner executes a surprise attack from the rear. Pairs build an enormous nest high in the canopy, usually on an epiphytic fern; one egg is produced between October and December, and the chick is dependent on its parents for around a year. This species is endemic to the Philippines and found on parts of the larger islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. The Philippine eagle was once widespread throughout these islands, and although the current population is unknown it is thought to number fewer than 250 mature individuals. http://i.imgur.com/niG6Agb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/tGcQmRp.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/APXWorj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/QDU5REJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/b4JxCq1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qUEnhJq.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/bWH6lmy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/vV99PFu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eMfRQMw.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/x0SszCe.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 16 November 2014Sunday Philippine Eagle The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is the world's largest eagle, and one of the most threatened raptors. The male and female Philippine eagle are similar in appearance, possessing a creamy white belly and underwing, whilst the upper parts are a rich chocolate-brown, with a paler edge. The long feathers of the head and nape form a distinctive, shaggy crest and are creamy-buff in colour with black streaks. Philippine eagle chicks have white down, and juveniles are similar in appearance to adults but have white margins to the feathers on the back and upperwing. The Philippine eagle has heavy, yellow legs with large, powerful claws, and the large, deep bill is a bluish-grey. The Philippine eagle can live to between 30 and 60 years of age. It feeds mainly on flying lemurs, palm civets and monkeys, hence the alternative common name of 'monkey-eating eagle'. Other prey items include rats, snakes, flying squirrels, birds and bats. Individuals hunt from perches and slowly move downhill from perch to perch before soaring back up the hill upon reaching the bottom. Philippine eagle pairs have been observed hunting together; one individual acts as a decoy, drawing the attention of a group of monkeys towards it while its partner executes a surprise attack from the rear. Pairs build an enormous nest high in the canopy, usually on an epiphytic fern; one egg is produced between October and December, and the chick is dependent on its parents for around a year. This species is endemic to the Philippines and found on parts of the larger islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. The Philippine eagle was once widespread throughout these islands, and although the current population is unknown it is thought to number fewer than 250 mature individuals. http://i.imgur.com/niG6Agb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/tGcQmRp.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/APXWorj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/QDU5REJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/b4JxCq1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qUEnhJq.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/bWH6lmy.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/vV99PFu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eMfRQMw.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/x0SszCe.jpg Nice eyes, and great feathers around the face.I love the one tilting the head and giving the sideways look 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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