HomesickAlien Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 13 January 2015Tuesday Giant African Millipede Archispirostreptus gigas, the Giant African Millipede, is one of the largest millipedes, growing up to 38.5 centimetres (15.2 in) in length, and 67 millimetres (2.6 in) in circumference. It is a widespread species in lowland parts of East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, but rarely reaches altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It lives mostly in forests, but can also be found in areas of coastal habitat which contain at least a few trees. The giant millipede has an interesting defense mechanism. They may secrete a yellowish-brown fluid (hydrogen cyanide), which is a mild irritant to predators. If sufficient amounts are applied, it may be an irritant to people. The more common defense position is for the millipede to coil into a tight spiral. Females make a nest of compressed soil just below ground level. A few weeks after mating, the female lays hundreds of eggs in this nest. The eggs do not become fertilized until after laying, and are covered with a tough, resistant coating to protect them from predators and poor environmental conditions. Sometimes the female will guard the eggs until they hatch (about 3 months later). The young are abandoned after hatching, but grow quickly. A. gigas is black in colour, and is often kept as a pet. In general, giant millipedes have a life expectancy of 5–7 years. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/giant20millipede20JAK568_zps1ee6f2a9.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/SpiroTrill-5-02_zpsc10d1a06.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/_64159591_0089_millipede_trainnewfcopy_zps9d9a57d3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/image004_zps9c67f367.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Giant20African20Millipede202_zps051a933b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/300pede_zps20cacfe2.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 14 January 2015Wednesday Leaf-cutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) Widely distributed throughout Central and South America, Atta cephalotes is a leaf-cutting, fungus-growing ant, with one of the most fascinating and complex social systems known to science. Colonies of this leaf-cutter ant species contain millions of individuals, making it possibly the most dominant invertebrate in Central and South America. A colony is made up of different classes of ant, known as castes, including the queen, workers, and at certain times, males and females (queens) that are capable of reproduction. Each individual within the colony carries out a specific job depending on its size and caste, in a behaviour known as ‘task partitioning’. The leaf-cutter ant lives in huge underground nests, connected by a series of tunnels. The ants cultivate a special ‘fungus garden’ deep within the nest, and are almost entirely dependent on the fungus for food. Maintaining the garden is crucial to the survival of the colony, and worker ants perform a variety of tasks, including foraging for leaves, cutting them into suitably sized fragments, transporting leaf fragments back to the colony, and preparing a ‘mulch’ (made from the leaves), which is used to cultivate the fungus garden. Some of the smaller ants ‘hitchhike’ on leaves carried back to the colony, and are thought to protect the foraging ants from parasitic flies (Phoridae), and may also play a part in leaf preparation. It is essential that the fungus garden remains free of parasites that could cause disease, which would be devastating to the leaf-cutter ant colony. Microorganisms that have the potential to be harmful to the fungus are removed by some of the smaller garden workers as waste, which is taken to a separate waste chamber, reducing the chance that the fungus, or other ants in the colony, will become infected by harmful pathogens. In a colony, only the queen is able to produce offspring. The queen is capable of laying thousands of eggs per day, most of which are destined to become workers, with only a small number of these developing into males and females capable of reproduction. At the beginning of the rainy season, fertile individuals leave the nest to take part in a ‘nuptial flight’, a single flight during which mating occurs, and after which the males die. This is the only time that the females mate, and the potential queens are capable of storing several hundred million sperm, which are used to fertilise the eggs in a future colony. A new colony is created by a solitary female queen, who will dig a tunnel, and, using a tiny piece of fungus brought from the old nest inside a special cavity in the mouth, will start to cultivate a new fungus garden and begin egg laying. Despite the large numbers of leaf-cutter ant queens that attempt to establish a colony, very few actually survive, with the probability that the founding queen will die before eggs hatch and the fungus garden becomes established estimated at nearly 90 percent. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-carrying-leaves-back-to-the-nest_zpsbbf24dd1.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-cutting-leaves-and-carrying-off-to-nest_zps267da355.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/kqmvq2cd-1329263067_zps8d5b2942.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/UWLeafCutterAnts_13715745866801_zps38b3bf1c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Flickr_-_ggallice_-_Leaf-cutter_ants_zps973a3599.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-destroying-plant_zpsdb0b92a3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/8584177225_851487ef45_b_zps85ae3f26.jpg Queen: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Atta20texana20queen_zps77718f6c.jpg Distribution: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/World-map-Atta-cephalotes-leaf-cutter-ant_zps174d4b4b.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I remember learning about the queen ant in the first grade, as well a how ants could lift objects multitudes more than their weight. It really fascinated me, I don't think I've ever been interesting in anything like that since Edited January 14, 2015 by Mr. Not 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 13 January 2015Tuesday Giant African Millipede Archispirostreptus gigas, the Giant African Millipede, is one of the largest millipedes, growing up to 38.5 centimetres (15.2 in) in length, and 67 millimetres (2.6 in) in circumference. It is a widespread species in lowland parts of East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, but rarely reaches altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It lives mostly in forests, but can also be found in areas of coastal habitat which contain at least a few trees. The giant millipede has an interesting defense mechanism. They may secrete a yellowish-brown fluid (hydrogen cyanide), which is a mild irritant to predators. If sufficient amounts are applied, it may be an irritant to people. The more common defense position is for the millipede to coil into a tight spiral. Females make a nest of compressed soil just below ground level. A few weeks after mating, the female lays hundreds of eggs in this nest. The eggs do not become fertilized until after laying, and are covered with a tough, resistant coating to protect them from predators and poor environmental conditions. Sometimes the female will guard the eggs until they hatch (about 3 months later). The young are abandoned after hatching, but grow quickly. A. gigas is black in colour, and is often kept as a pet. In general, giant millipedes have a life expectancy of 5–7 years. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/giant20millipede20JAK568_zps1ee6f2a9.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/SpiroTrill-5-02_zpsc10d1a06.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/_64159591_0089_millipede_trainnewfcopy_zps9d9a57d3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/image004_zps9c67f367.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Giant20African20Millipede202_zps051a933b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/300pede_zps20cacfe2.jpgI bet they tickle... but I wouldn't want to find out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 14 January 2015Wednesday Leaf-cutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) Widely distributed throughout Central and South America, Atta cephalotes is a leaf-cutting, fungus-growing ant, with one of the most fascinating and complex social systems known to science. Colonies of this leaf-cutter ant species contain millions of individuals, making it possibly the most dominant invertebrate in Central and South America. A colony is made up of different classes of ant, known as castes, including the queen, workers, and at certain times, males and females (queens) that are capable of reproduction. Each individual within the colony carries out a specific job depending on its size and caste, in a behaviour known as ‘task partitioning’. The leaf-cutter ant lives in huge underground nests, connected by a series of tunnels. The ants cultivate a special ‘fungus garden’ deep within the nest, and are almost entirely dependent on the fungus for food. Maintaining the garden is crucial to the survival of the colony, and worker ants perform a variety of tasks, including foraging for leaves, cutting them into suitably sized fragments, transporting leaf fragments back to the colony, and preparing a ‘mulch’ (made from the leaves), which is used to cultivate the fungus garden. Some of the smaller ants ‘hitchhike’ on leaves carried back to the colony, and are thought to protect the foraging ants from parasitic flies (Phoridae), and may also play a part in leaf preparation. It is essential that the fungus garden remains free of parasites that could cause disease, which would be devastating to the leaf-cutter ant colony. Microorganisms that have the potential to be harmful to the fungus are removed by some of the smaller garden workers as waste, which is taken to a separate waste chamber, reducing the chance that the fungus, or other ants in the colony, will become infected by harmful pathogens. In a colony, only the queen is able to produce offspring. The queen is capable of laying thousands of eggs per day, most of which are destined to become workers, with only a small number of these developing into males and females capable of reproduction. At the beginning of the rainy season, fertile individuals leave the nest to take part in a ‘nuptial flight’, a single flight during which mating occurs, and after which the males die. This is the only time that the females mate, and the potential queens are capable of storing several hundred million sperm, which are used to fertilise the eggs in a future colony. A new colony is created by a solitary female queen, who will dig a tunnel, and, using a tiny piece of fungus brought from the old nest inside a special cavity in the mouth, will start to cultivate a new fungus garden and begin egg laying. Despite the large numbers of leaf-cutter ant queens that attempt to establish a colony, very few actually survive, with the probability that the founding queen will die before eggs hatch and the fungus garden becomes established estimated at nearly 90 percent. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-carrying-leaves-back-to-the-nest_zpsbbf24dd1.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-cutting-leaves-and-carrying-off-to-nest_zps267da355.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/kqmvq2cd-1329263067_zps8d5b2942.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/UWLeafCutterAnts_13715745866801_zps38b3bf1c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Flickr_-_ggallice_-_Leaf-cutter_ants_zps973a3599.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-destroying-plant_zpsdb0b92a3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/8584177225_851487ef45_b_zps85ae3f26.jpg Queen: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Atta20texana20queen_zps77718f6c.jpg Distribution: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/World-map-Atta-cephalotes-leaf-cutter-ant_zps174d4b4b.jpgIt's inspiring, the way they work together.Yay ants! http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/party/party0011.gif 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 13 January 2015Tuesday Giant African Millipede Archispirostreptus gigas, the Giant African Millipede, is one of the largest millipedes, growing up to 38.5 centimetres (15.2 in) in length, and 67 millimetres (2.6 in) in circumference. It is a widespread species in lowland parts of East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, but rarely reaches altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It lives mostly in forests, but can also be found in areas of coastal habitat which contain at least a few trees. The giant millipede has an interesting defense mechanism. They may secrete a yellowish-brown fluid (hydrogen cyanide), which is a mild irritant to predators. If sufficient amounts are applied, it may be an irritant to people. The more common defense position is for the millipede to coil into a tight spiral. Females make a nest of compressed soil just below ground level. A few weeks after mating, the female lays hundreds of eggs in this nest. The eggs do not become fertilized until after laying, and are covered with a tough, resistant coating to protect them from predators and poor environmental conditions. Sometimes the female will guard the eggs until they hatch (about 3 months later). The young are abandoned after hatching, but grow quickly. A. gigas is black in colour, and is often kept as a pet. In general, giant millipedes have a life expectancy of 5–7 years. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/giant20millipede20JAK568_zps1ee6f2a9.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/SpiroTrill-5-02_zpsc10d1a06.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/_64159591_0089_millipede_trainnewfcopy_zps9d9a57d3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/image004_zps9c67f367.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Giant20African20Millipede202_zps051a933b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/300pede_zps20cacfe2.jpg Hi, David Attenborough! :hi: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 14 January 2015Wednesday Leaf-cutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) Widely distributed throughout Central and South America, Atta cephalotes is a leaf-cutting, fungus-growing ant, with one of the most fascinating and complex social systems known to science. Colonies of this leaf-cutter ant species contain millions of individuals, making it possibly the most dominant invertebrate in Central and South America. A colony is made up of different classes of ant, known as castes, including the queen, workers, and at certain times, males and females (queens) that are capable of reproduction. Each individual within the colony carries out a specific job depending on its size and caste, in a behaviour known as ‘task partitioning’. The leaf-cutter ant lives in huge underground nests, connected by a series of tunnels. The ants cultivate a special ‘fungus garden’ deep within the nest, and are almost entirely dependent on the fungus for food. Maintaining the garden is crucial to the survival of the colony, and worker ants perform a variety of tasks, including foraging for leaves, cutting them into suitably sized fragments, transporting leaf fragments back to the colony, and preparing a ‘mulch’ (made from the leaves), which is used to cultivate the fungus garden. Some of the smaller ants ‘hitchhike’ on leaves carried back to the colony, and are thought to protect the foraging ants from parasitic flies (Phoridae), and may also play a part in leaf preparation. It is essential that the fungus garden remains free of parasites that could cause disease, which would be devastating to the leaf-cutter ant colony. Microorganisms that have the potential to be harmful to the fungus are removed by some of the smaller garden workers as waste, which is taken to a separate waste chamber, reducing the chance that the fungus, or other ants in the colony, will become infected by harmful pathogens. In a colony, only the queen is able to produce offspring. The queen is capable of laying thousands of eggs per day, most of which are destined to become workers, with only a small number of these developing into males and females capable of reproduction. At the beginning of the rainy season, fertile individuals leave the nest to take part in a ‘nuptial flight’, a single flight during which mating occurs, and after which the males die. This is the only time that the females mate, and the potential queens are capable of storing several hundred million sperm, which are used to fertilise the eggs in a future colony. A new colony is created by a solitary female queen, who will dig a tunnel, and, using a tiny piece of fungus brought from the old nest inside a special cavity in the mouth, will start to cultivate a new fungus garden and begin egg laying. Despite the large numbers of leaf-cutter ant queens that attempt to establish a colony, very few actually survive, with the probability that the founding queen will die before eggs hatch and the fungus garden becomes established estimated at nearly 90 percent. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-carrying-leaves-back-to-the-nest_zpsbbf24dd1.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-cutting-leaves-and-carrying-off-to-nest_zps267da355.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/kqmvq2cd-1329263067_zps8d5b2942.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/UWLeafCutterAnts_13715745866801_zps38b3bf1c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Flickr_-_ggallice_-_Leaf-cutter_ants_zps973a3599.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Leaf-cutter-ants-destroying-plant_zpsdb0b92a3.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/8584177225_851487ef45_b_zps85ae3f26.jpg Queen: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Atta20texana20queen_zps77718f6c.jpg Distribution: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/World-map-Atta-cephalotes-leaf-cutter-ant_zps174d4b4b.jpg Those ants are amazing! :D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 15 January 2015Thursday Lowland Streaked Tenrec An extraordinary-looking family, the tenrecs exist only in Madagascar and have a greater diversity of form than any other family of insectivores. Members of the subfamily Tenrecinae look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, with long, pointed snouts and spines amongst their fur. The lowland streaked tenrec is a medium-sized tenrec; it is blackish-brown with yellowish stripes running the length of the body and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout. It has detachable, barbed spines which are most numerous on the crown. The lowland streaked tenrec is active both at night and during the day, and is the only species to form groups. It remains with its family, numbering up to 20 individuals in each burrow. They may forage together amongst the leaf litter for earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, using their long snouts to delve into small spaces. During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings, but still remain active. This conserves energy, but in the coldest weather they must hibernate. Nesting in burrows 1.5 metres long and 15 cm deep near a stream or water body, the lowland streaked tenrec covers the burrow entrance with leaves and often creates a latrine site nearby. Mating takes place between September and December, and young are born after a gestation of 55 – 63 days. The female gives birth to between two and eleven young, averaging six in each litter. Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks. Mothers and young communicate by stridulating – they vibrate specialized quills on their mid-dorsal region creating a low-pitched noise. These tenrecs also make ‘crunch’ and ‘putt-putt’ sounds, particularly when agitated. If threatened, this species will raise the spines around the neck and buck the head violently to attempt to lodge the barbed spines into the attacker. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/maxresdefault_zpsf0832618.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2048_zps39e751b6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/medium_zps6dc5ad9d.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/6710070605_b4465c91bb_b_zps41bc019b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Lowland20Streaked20Tenrec202_zpsa0108163.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrec_zps3996b428.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrecrange_zps6f697199.png 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 15 January 2015Thursday Lowland Streaked Tenrec An extraordinary-looking family, the tenrecs exist only in Madagascar and have a greater diversity of form than any other family of insectivores. Members of the subfamily Tenrecinae look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, with long, pointed snouts and spines amongst their fur. The lowland streaked tenrec is a medium-sized tenrec; it is blackish-brown with yellowish stripes running the length of the body and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout. It has detachable, barbed spines which are most numerous on the crown. The lowland streaked tenrec is active both at night and during the day, and is the only species to form groups. It remains with its family, numbering up to 20 individuals in each burrow. They may forage together amongst the leaf litter for earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, using their long snouts to delve into small spaces. During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings, but still remain active. This conserves energy, but in the coldest weather they must hibernate. Nesting in burrows 1.5 metres long and 15 cm deep near a stream or water body, the lowland streaked tenrec covers the burrow entrance with leaves and often creates a latrine site nearby. Mating takes place between September and December, and young are born after a gestation of 55 – 63 days. The female gives birth to between two and eleven young, averaging six in each litter. Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks. Mothers and young communicate by stridulating – they vibrate specialized quills on their mid-dorsal region creating a low-pitched noise. These tenrecs also make ‘crunch’ and ‘putt-putt’ sounds, particularly when agitated. If threatened, this species will raise the spines around the neck and buck the head violently to attempt to lodge the barbed spines into the attacker. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/maxresdefault_zpsf0832618.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2048_zps39e751b6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/medium_zps6dc5ad9d.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/6710070605_b4465c91bb_b_zps41bc019b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Lowland20Streaked20Tenrec202_zpsa0108163.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrec_zps3996b428.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrecrange_zps6f697199.png He's adorable! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 15 January 2015Thursday Lowland Streaked Tenrec An extraordinary-looking family, the tenrecs exist only in Madagascar and have a greater diversity of form than any other family of insectivores. Members of the subfamily Tenrecinae look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, with long, pointed snouts and spines amongst their fur. The lowland streaked tenrec is a medium-sized tenrec; it is blackish-brown with yellowish stripes running the length of the body and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout. It has detachable, barbed spines which are most numerous on the crown. The lowland streaked tenrec is active both at night and during the day, and is the only species to form groups. It remains with its family, numbering up to 20 individuals in each burrow. They may forage together amongst the leaf litter for earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, using their long snouts to delve into small spaces. During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings, but still remain active. This conserves energy, but in the coldest weather they must hibernate. Nesting in burrows 1.5 metres long and 15 cm deep near a stream or water body, the lowland streaked tenrec covers the burrow entrance with leaves and often creates a latrine site nearby. Mating takes place between September and December, and young are born after a gestation of 55 – 63 days. The female gives birth to between two and eleven young, averaging six in each litter. Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks. Mothers and young communicate by stridulating – they vibrate specialized quills on their mid-dorsal region creating a low-pitched noise. These tenrecs also make ‘crunch’ and ‘putt-putt’ sounds, particularly when agitated. If threatened, this species will raise the spines around the neck and buck the head violently to attempt to lodge the barbed spines into the attacker. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/maxresdefault_zpsf0832618.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2048_zps39e751b6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/medium_zps6dc5ad9d.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/6710070605_b4465c91bb_b_zps41bc019b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Lowland20Streaked20Tenrec202_zpsa0108163.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrec_zps3996b428.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrecrange_zps6f697199.pngThat's quite a bright yellow on that guy...and cute little eyes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1yyz Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 15 January 2015Thursday Lowland Streaked Tenrec An extraordinary-looking family, the tenrecs exist only in Madagascar and have a greater diversity of form than any other family of insectivores. Members of the subfamily Tenrecinae look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, with long, pointed snouts and spines amongst their fur. The lowland streaked tenrec is a medium-sized tenrec; it is blackish-brown with yellowish stripes running the length of the body and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout. It has detachable, barbed spines which are most numerous on the crown. The lowland streaked tenrec is active both at night and during the day, and is the only species to form groups. It remains with its family, numbering up to 20 individuals in each burrow. They may forage together amongst the leaf litter for earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, using their long snouts to delve into small spaces. During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings, but still remain active. This conserves energy, but in the coldest weather they must hibernate. Nesting in burrows 1.5 metres long and 15 cm deep near a stream or water body, the lowland streaked tenrec covers the burrow entrance with leaves and often creates a latrine site nearby. Mating takes place between September and December, and young are born after a gestation of 55 – 63 days. The female gives birth to between two and eleven young, averaging six in each litter. Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks. Mothers and young communicate by stridulating – they vibrate specialized quills on their mid-dorsal region creating a low-pitched noise. These tenrecs also make ‘crunch’ and ‘putt-putt’ sounds, particularly when agitated. If threatened, this species will raise the spines around the neck and buck the head violently to attempt to lodge the barbed spines into the attacker. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/maxresdefault_zpsf0832618.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2048_zps39e751b6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/medium_zps6dc5ad9d.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/6710070605_b4465c91bb_b_zps41bc019b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Lowland20Streaked20Tenrec202_zpsa0108163.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrec_zps3996b428.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrecrange_zps6f697199.png What most people don't realize is the tenrec is the result of a rare mating between a bumblebee and a hedgehog ;) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 15 January 2015Thursday Lowland Streaked Tenrec An extraordinary-looking family, the tenrecs exist only in Madagascar and have a greater diversity of form than any other family of insectivores. Members of the subfamily Tenrecinae look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, with long, pointed snouts and spines amongst their fur. The lowland streaked tenrec is a medium-sized tenrec; it is blackish-brown with yellowish stripes running the length of the body and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout. It has detachable, barbed spines which are most numerous on the crown. The lowland streaked tenrec is active both at night and during the day, and is the only species to form groups. It remains with its family, numbering up to 20 individuals in each burrow. They may forage together amongst the leaf litter for earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, using their long snouts to delve into small spaces. During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings, but still remain active. This conserves energy, but in the coldest weather they must hibernate. Nesting in burrows 1.5 metres long and 15 cm deep near a stream or water body, the lowland streaked tenrec covers the burrow entrance with leaves and often creates a latrine site nearby. Mating takes place between September and December, and young are born after a gestation of 55 – 63 days. The female gives birth to between two and eleven young, averaging six in each litter. Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks. Mothers and young communicate by stridulating – they vibrate specialized quills on their mid-dorsal region creating a low-pitched noise. These tenrecs also make ‘crunch’ and ‘putt-putt’ sounds, particularly when agitated. If threatened, this species will raise the spines around the neck and buck the head violently to attempt to lodge the barbed spines into the attacker. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/maxresdefault_zpsf0832618.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2048_zps39e751b6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/medium_zps6dc5ad9d.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/6710070605_b4465c91bb_b_zps41bc019b.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Lowland20Streaked20Tenrec202_zpsa0108163.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrec_zps3996b428.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tenrecrange_zps6f697199.png What most people don't realize is the tenrec is the result of a rare mating between a bumblebee and a hedgehog ;) :P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) 16 January 2015 FLORA FRIDAY Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica) Native to tropical South America, Victoria amazonica was first discovered in Bolivia in 1801 and named Euryale amazonica. It was subsequently moved to a new genus named in honour of Queen Victoria (originally as Victoria regia). In South America it grows in the backwaters of rivers in the Amazon basin, the Guianas and the Pantanal. Victoria amazonica is well known for its huge circular leaves, which are often pictured with a small child sitting supported in the centre as a demonstration of their size and strength. The enormous circular leaves, which grow to over 2.5 m across, have upturned rims and are anchored by long stalks arising from an underground stem buried in the mud of the river bottom. The leaves first appear as spiny heads but expand rapidly up to half a square metre per day. The upper surface has a rather quilted appearance and a waxy layer that repels water. The purplish red undersurface has a network of ribs clad in abundant sharp spines, possibly a defence against herbivorous fishes and manatees. Air trapped in the spaces between the ribs enables the leaves to float. They are so buoyant that they can easily support the weight of a small child, and a mature leaf can support 45 kg if the load is evenly distributed. In a single season, each plant produces some 40 to 50 leaves, which cover the water surface and exclude light, thus restricting the growth of most other plants. The spectacular flowers are relatively short-lived, lasting only 48 hours or so. The flower is white the first evening it opens, attracting beetles with a sweet pineapple-like scent and with heat from a thermochemical reaction. At this stage the flower is female, and is open to receiving pollen picked up by the beetles on other plants. As they bumble around inside the flower they transfer pollen to the stigmas and fertilization takes place. Meanwhile the flower shuts, trapping them until the next evening. During the following day the plant changes from female to male: the anthers mature and start producing pollen. When the flower reopens on the second evening it has changed colour to purplish red and no longer emits attractive scent or heat. The beetles, dusted with their pollen, fly off to find another white flower on a different plant (each plant only ever has one white flower at a time), where the process is repeated. The flower then closes up and sinks below the surface of the water, its mission accomplished. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/359-of-brazil-category-nature-size-1920-x-1200-keywords--wallpaper-2000x1333_zps3a62b203.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/vitc3b3ria-rc3a9gia-flower1_zps1da479f6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/amazon-lily-pad_zpsa08f40ac.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/field_of_Victoria_amazonica_by_Khirsah1_zps5ab57ad1.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Crane-on-Victoria-amazonica-giant-waterlily1_zps5fc0ad76.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/00008f4d_medium_zpsede7fc74.jpeghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/HPIM4401a_zps82962cb2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Victoria_amazonica_flower_head_zps1b58f716.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-cut-pad-of-a-victoria-amazonica-jonathan-blair_zps85a42efe.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/victoria_regia_bird_zps0ee49a96.jpg Edited January 16, 2015 by substancewithoutstyle 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 16 January 2015 FLORA FRIDAY Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica) Native to tropical South America, Victoria amazonica was first discovered in Bolivia in 1801 and named Euryale amazonica. It was subsequently moved to a new genus named in honour of Queen Victoria (originally as Victoria regia). In South America it grows in the backwaters of rivers in the Amazon basin, the Guianas and the Pantanal. Victoria amazonica is well known for its huge circular leaves, which are often pictured with a small child sitting supported in the centre as a demonstration of their size and strength. The enormous circular leaves, which grow to over 2.5 m across, have upturned rims and are anchored by long stalks arising from an underground stem buried in the mud of the river bottom. The leaves first appear as spiny heads but expand rapidly up to half a square metre per day. The upper surface has a rather quilted appearance and a waxy layer that repels water. The purplish red undersurface has a network of ribs clad in abundant sharp spines, possibly a defence against herbivorous fishes and manatees. Air trapped in the spaces between the ribs enables the leaves to float. They are so buoyant that they can easily support the weight of a small child, and a mature leaf can support 45 kg if the load is evenly distributed. In a single season, each plant produces some 40 to 50 leaves, which cover the water surface and exclude light, thus restricting the growth of most other plants. The spectacular flowers are relatively short-lived, lasting only 48 hours or so. The flower is white the first evening it opens, attracting beetles with a sweet pineapple-like scent and with heat from a thermochemical reaction. At this stage the flower is female, and is open to receiving pollen picked up by the beetles on other plants. As they bumble around inside the flower they transfer pollen to the stigmas and fertilization takes place. Meanwhile the flower shuts, trapping them until the next evening. During the following day the plant changes from female to male: the anthers mature and start producing pollen. When the flower reopens on the second evening it has changed colour to purplish red and no longer emits attractive scent or heat. The beetles, dusted with their pollen, fly off to find another white flower on a different plant (each plant only ever has one white flower at a time), where the process is repeated. The flower then closes up and sinks below the surface of the water, its mission accomplished. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/359-of-brazil-category-nature-size-1920-x-1200-keywords--wallpaper-2000x1333_zps3a62b203.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/vitc3b3ria-rc3a9gia-flower1_zps1da479f6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/amazon-lily-pad_zpsa08f40ac.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/field_of_Victoria_amazonica_by_Khirsah1_zps5ab57ad1.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Crane-on-Victoria-amazonica-giant-waterlily1_zps5fc0ad76.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/00008f4d_medium_zpsede7fc74.jpeghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/HPIM4401a_zps82962cb2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Victoria_amazonica_flower_head_zps1b58f716.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-cut-pad-of-a-victoria-amazonica-jonathan-blair_zps85a42efe.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/victoria_regia_bird_zps0ee49a96.jpg Wow!!! Those are amazing.That first picture looks like it could be a Hypnosis album cover 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 17 January 2015 Paleontology Saturday Dodo Bird The Dodo bird, or Raphus Cucullatus, was a flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius, near the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The closest relatives to the dodo bird are pigeons and doves, even though dodo birds were much larger in size. On average, dodo birds stood 3 feet tall and weighted about 40 lb. Unfortunately, due to aggressive human populations, dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. The complete isolation of Mauritius let the dodo birds grow and evolve without natural predators, unfortunately to a fault that led to their extinction. The first documented appearance of the dodo bird is in the early 15th century by Dutch explorers. Dutch vice-admiral Wybrand Van Warwijck used the name “walgyogel” in his journal to describe the bird after his visit to the island in 1598. The origin of the word dodo to describe the bird is still unclear, but some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoaars, referring to the birds knot of feathers. Even though the first drawings of the bird portrayed dodo’s as fat and clumsy, scientists have challenged that view. Because the island of Mauritius has dry and wet seasons, dodo birds gained weight at the end of the wet season and slimmed down when food was scarce during the dry season. This developed the dodo birds image as a “greedy” bird with a large appetite. Most of the birds portrayed in drawings were probably captive and overfed. Because the dodo bird’s natural environment lacked any significant predators, dodos were fearless of people. This, combined with flightlessness, made them an easy prey. With the combination of human hunting and becoming prey for animals brought onto the island by the explorers (i.e. dogs, cats, pigs, and rats), dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/dodo_bird_by_deskridge-d3kn9d9_zps9fcda620.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2346155661_067a9a7621_z_zps21aa3aa7.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo_zpsfb4419cb.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/follow-the-dodo-daniel-eskridge_zps59b02b4a.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/88432-050-51E26C26_zps7f39bf22.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/ixAQV9y4Hytw_zps4fb7e186.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo----Raphus-cucullatus_zpsa819071d.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 17 January 2015 Paleontology Saturday Dodo Bird The Dodo bird, or Raphus Cucullatus, was a flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius, near the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The closest relatives to the dodo bird are pigeons and doves, even though dodo birds were much larger in size. On average, dodo birds stood 3 feet tall and weighted about 40 lb. Unfortunately, due to aggressive human populations, dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. The complete isolation of Mauritius let the dodo birds grow and evolve without natural predators, unfortunately to a fault that led to their extinction. The first documented appearance of the dodo bird is in the early 15th century by Dutch explorers. Dutch vice-admiral Wybrand Van Warwijck used the name “walgyogel” in his journal to describe the bird after his visit to the island in 1598. The origin of the word dodo to describe the bird is still unclear, but some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoaars, referring to the birds knot of feathers. Even though the first drawings of the bird portrayed dodo’s as fat and clumsy, scientists have challenged that view. Because the island of Mauritius has dry and wet seasons, dodo birds gained weight at the end of the wet season and slimmed down when food was scarce during the dry season. This developed the dodo birds image as a “greedy” bird with a large appetite. Most of the birds portrayed in drawings were probably captive and overfed. Because the dodo bird’s natural environment lacked any significant predators, dodos were fearless of people. This, combined with flightlessness, made them an easy prey. With the combination of human hunting and becoming prey for animals brought onto the island by the explorers (i.e. dogs, cats, pigs, and rats), dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/dodo_bird_by_deskridge-d3kn9d9_zps9fcda620.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2346155661_067a9a7621_z_zps21aa3aa7.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo_zpsfb4419cb.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/follow-the-dodo-daniel-eskridge_zps59b02b4a.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/88432-050-51E26C26_zps7f39bf22.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/ixAQV9y4Hytw_zps4fb7e186.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo----Raphus-cucullatus_zpsa819071d.jpgFunny looking birds. Have they been Disneyfied yet? If not, I'm surprised 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 18 January 2015Sunday Blue Dragon Sea Slug Glaucus atlanticus (commonly known as the blue dragon) is a species of small-sized blue sea slug, a gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae. These sea slugs feed on other pelagic creatures including the venomous Portuguese Man o' War. Because the sea slug stores stinging nematocysts from the Man o' War within its own tissues, a human picking up the sea slug may receive a very painful sting. At maturity Glaucus atlanticus can be up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. It is silvery grey on its dorsal side and dark and pale blue ventrally. It has dark blue stripes on its head. It has a tapering body which is flattened, and has six appendages which branch out into rayed, finger-like cerata. Studies suggest that the rich dark blue color of Glaucus atlanticus does not only protect it from being spotted by potential predators, but also provides it with protection from ultraviolet light. G. atlanticus floats upside down on the upper surface of the ocean, where it is exposed to an abundance of sunlight. The blue-violet pigments help it to reflect harmful UV rays. This beautiful little mollusk can be found off the coast of South Africa, Australia and Mozambique, floating on the surface tension of the water, letting itself be carried by the winds and currents. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-blue-dragon-mollusk-of-the-sea-nature-picture_zps584e5e76.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/wowwww_zps25c9bad0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/0098_zps728aa9cc.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bluedragon_zps45792294.pnghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/m13068_zps3ba2b493.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/033874_zpseea82bc2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tumblr_men1htvuFp1qc6j5yo1_500_zps4de26592.jpg http://www.seaslugfo...t/find/glauatla 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 And yet another "Wait, that really exists? That's awesome! How come we're oblivious to that animal?" moment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 18 January 2015Sunday Blue Dragon Sea Slug Glaucus atlanticus (commonly known as the blue dragon) is a species of small-sized blue sea slug, a gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae. These sea slugs feed on other pelagic creatures including the venomous Portuguese Man o' War. Because the sea slug stores stinging nematocysts from the Man o' War within its own tissues, a human picking up the sea slug may receive a very painful sting. At maturity Glaucus atlanticus can be up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. It is silvery grey on its dorsal side and dark and pale blue ventrally. It has dark blue stripes on its head. It has a tapering body which is flattened, and has six appendages which branch out into rayed, finger-like cerata. Studies suggest that the rich dark blue color of Glaucus atlanticus does not only protect it from being spotted by potential predators, but also provides it with protection from ultraviolet light. G. atlanticus floats upside down on the upper surface of the ocean, where it is exposed to an abundance of sunlight. The blue-violet pigments help it to reflect harmful UV rays. This beautiful little mollusk can be found off the coast of South Africa, Australia and Mozambique, floating on the surface tension of the water, letting itself be carried by the winds and currents. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-blue-dragon-mollusk-of-the-sea-nature-picture_zps584e5e76.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/wowwww_zps25c9bad0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/0098_zps728aa9cc.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bluedragon_zps45792294.pnghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/m13068_zps3ba2b493.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/033874_zpseea82bc2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tumblr_men1htvuFp1qc6j5yo1_500_zps4de26592.jpg http://www.seaslugfo...t/find/glauatlaAmazing. It would be great if all slugs looked like that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 16 January 2015 FLORA FRIDAY Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica) Native to tropical South America, Victoria amazonica was first discovered in Bolivia in 1801 and named Euryale amazonica. It was subsequently moved to a new genus named in honour of Queen Victoria (originally as Victoria regia). In South America it grows in the backwaters of rivers in the Amazon basin, the Guianas and the Pantanal. Victoria amazonica is well known for its huge circular leaves, which are often pictured with a small child sitting supported in the centre as a demonstration of their size and strength. The enormous circular leaves, which grow to over 2.5 m across, have upturned rims and are anchored by long stalks arising from an underground stem buried in the mud of the river bottom. The leaves first appear as spiny heads but expand rapidly up to half a square metre per day. The upper surface has a rather quilted appearance and a waxy layer that repels water. The purplish red undersurface has a network of ribs clad in abundant sharp spines, possibly a defence against herbivorous fishes and manatees. Air trapped in the spaces between the ribs enables the leaves to float. They are so buoyant that they can easily support the weight of a small child, and a mature leaf can support 45 kg if the load is evenly distributed. In a single season, each plant produces some 40 to 50 leaves, which cover the water surface and exclude light, thus restricting the growth of most other plants. The spectacular flowers are relatively short-lived, lasting only 48 hours or so. The flower is white the first evening it opens, attracting beetles with a sweet pineapple-like scent and with heat from a thermochemical reaction. At this stage the flower is female, and is open to receiving pollen picked up by the beetles on other plants. As they bumble around inside the flower they transfer pollen to the stigmas and fertilization takes place. Meanwhile the flower shuts, trapping them until the next evening. During the following day the plant changes from female to male: the anthers mature and start producing pollen. When the flower reopens on the second evening it has changed colour to purplish red and no longer emits attractive scent or heat. The beetles, dusted with their pollen, fly off to find another white flower on a different plant (each plant only ever has one white flower at a time), where the process is repeated. The flower then closes up and sinks below the surface of the water, its mission accomplished. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/359-of-brazil-category-nature-size-1920-x-1200-keywords--wallpaper-2000x1333_zps3a62b203.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/vitc3b3ria-rc3a9gia-flower1_zps1da479f6.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/amazon-lily-pad_zpsa08f40ac.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/field_of_Victoria_amazonica_by_Khirsah1_zps5ab57ad1.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Crane-on-Victoria-amazonica-giant-waterlily1_zps5fc0ad76.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/00008f4d_medium_zpsede7fc74.jpeghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/HPIM4401a_zps82962cb2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Victoria_amazonica_flower_head_zps1b58f716.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-cut-pad-of-a-victoria-amazonica-jonathan-blair_zps85a42efe.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/victoria_regia_bird_zps0ee49a96.jpg Wow..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 17 January 2015 Paleontology Saturday Dodo Bird The Dodo bird, or Raphus Cucullatus, was a flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius, near the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The closest relatives to the dodo bird are pigeons and doves, even though dodo birds were much larger in size. On average, dodo birds stood 3 feet tall and weighted about 40 lb. Unfortunately, due to aggressive human populations, dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. The complete isolation of Mauritius let the dodo birds grow and evolve without natural predators, unfortunately to a fault that led to their extinction. The first documented appearance of the dodo bird is in the early 15th century by Dutch explorers. Dutch vice-admiral Wybrand Van Warwijck used the name “walgyogel” in his journal to describe the bird after his visit to the island in 1598. The origin of the word dodo to describe the bird is still unclear, but some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoaars, referring to the birds knot of feathers. Even though the first drawings of the bird portrayed dodo’s as fat and clumsy, scientists have challenged that view. Because the island of Mauritius has dry and wet seasons, dodo birds gained weight at the end of the wet season and slimmed down when food was scarce during the dry season. This developed the dodo birds image as a “greedy” bird with a large appetite. Most of the birds portrayed in drawings were probably captive and overfed. Because the dodo bird’s natural environment lacked any significant predators, dodos were fearless of people. This, combined with flightlessness, made them an easy prey. With the combination of human hunting and becoming prey for animals brought onto the island by the explorers (i.e. dogs, cats, pigs, and rats), dodo birds became extinct in the late 17th century. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/dodo_bird_by_deskridge-d3kn9d9_zps9fcda620.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/2346155661_067a9a7621_z_zps21aa3aa7.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo_zpsfb4419cb.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/follow-the-dodo-daniel-eskridge_zps59b02b4a.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/88432-050-51E26C26_zps7f39bf22.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/ixAQV9y4Hytw_zps4fb7e186.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Dodo----Raphus-cucullatus_zpsa819071d.jpg That's quite some bird! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 18 January 2015Sunday Blue Dragon Sea Slug Glaucus atlanticus (commonly known as the blue dragon) is a species of small-sized blue sea slug, a gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae. These sea slugs feed on other pelagic creatures including the venomous Portuguese Man o' War. Because the sea slug stores stinging nematocysts from the Man o' War within its own tissues, a human picking up the sea slug may receive a very painful sting. At maturity Glaucus atlanticus can be up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. It is silvery grey on its dorsal side and dark and pale blue ventrally. It has dark blue stripes on its head. It has a tapering body which is flattened, and has six appendages which branch out into rayed, finger-like cerata. Studies suggest that the rich dark blue color of Glaucus atlanticus does not only protect it from being spotted by potential predators, but also provides it with protection from ultraviolet light. G. atlanticus floats upside down on the upper surface of the ocean, where it is exposed to an abundance of sunlight. The blue-violet pigments help it to reflect harmful UV rays. This beautiful little mollusk can be found off the coast of South Africa, Australia and Mozambique, floating on the surface tension of the water, letting itself be carried by the winds and currents. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/the-blue-dragon-mollusk-of-the-sea-nature-picture_zps584e5e76.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/wowwww_zps25c9bad0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/0098_zps728aa9cc.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bluedragon_zps45792294.pnghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/m13068_zps3ba2b493.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/033874_zpseea82bc2.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tumblr_men1htvuFp1qc6j5yo1_500_zps4de26592.jpg http://www.seaslugfo...t/find/glauatla That's a beautiful color! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 19 January 2015Monday Three-wattled Bellbird A highly unusual and distinctive bird, the male three-wattled bellbird is capable of producing the loudest bird call on earth, a thunderous bell-like sound which can be heard over a kilometre away. With its prominent wattles and unmistakable vocalisations, the male is the more easily distinguished of the two sexes. The head, neck and chest are white, while the rest of the body is a bright chestnut-rufous, and three long, fleshy, black-grey wattles hang from the corners of the mouth and the upper part of the beak. Studies have shown that the calling songs of males are strikingly different between the different Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua populations of the three-wattled bellbird, and it is the population in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica that produces the most familiar of the calls, a loud, characteristic ‘bock’ or ‘bong’. During the breeding season, males call continuously from exposed perches, typically a broken branch with few or no leaves, high up in the canopy of tall trees. When a visiting bellbird enters the territory of the male, landing on a ‘visiting perch’ (which is usually another broken branch beneath the canopy), the male will continue to call and display, sometimes exhibiting a ‘wattle-shaking’ behaviour, where the wattles are extended to full length and shaken violently from side to side. Breeding is thought to occur between March to late June or early July, in montane forest, although relatively little is known about the nesting period, or the remainder of the courtship ritual. The three-wattled bellbird feeds mainly on the fruits of the Lauraceae family (a group of flowering plants), often consuming more than 30 large fruits in a day. It has an extraordinarily wide gape, which is thought to be an adaptation to accommodate its fruit-eating lifestyle. The three-wattled bellbird is endemic to Central America, with its range extending from Western Panama, through Costa Rica and into Nicaragua. It is thought that there may also be small populations in the Sierra de Agalta, Honduras. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/D10_0722_zps351574d5.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/crThree-wattled-Bellbird-ca_zps09d9d4f0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Three-wattled-BellbirdZCOG_2014011_zps2ba2ed7c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/3-wattled-bellbird_zps10ac1756.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/digiscope016_zpse1f5c273.jpg Male and female: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bellbird_zps52125c4f.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/procnias_tricarunculatus_zps7bef568e.gif BELLBIRD CALL 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 19 January 2015Monday Three-wattled Bellbird A highly unusual and distinctive bird, the male three-wattled bellbird is capable of producing the loudest bird call on earth, a thunderous bell-like sound which can be heard over a kilometre away. With its prominent wattles and unmistakable vocalisations, the male is the more easily distinguished of the two sexes. The head, neck and chest are white, while the rest of the body is a bright chestnut-rufous, and three long, fleshy, black-grey wattles hang from the corners of the mouth and the upper part of the beak. Studies have shown that the calling songs of males are strikingly different between the different Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua populations of the three-wattled bellbird, and it is the population in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica that produces the most familiar of the calls, a loud, characteristic ‘bock’ or ‘bong’. During the breeding season, males call continuously from exposed perches, typically a broken branch with few or no leaves, high up in the canopy of tall trees. When a visiting bellbird enters the territory of the male, landing on a ‘visiting perch’ (which is usually another broken branch beneath the canopy), the male will continue to call and display, sometimes exhibiting a ‘wattle-shaking’ behaviour, where the wattles are extended to full length and shaken violently from side to side. Breeding is thought to occur between March to late June or early July, in montane forest, although relatively little is known about the nesting period, or the remainder of the courtship ritual. The three-wattled bellbird feeds mainly on the fruits of the Lauraceae family (a group of flowering plants), often consuming more than 30 large fruits in a day. It has an extraordinarily wide gape, which is thought to be an adaptation to accommodate its fruit-eating lifestyle. The three-wattled bellbird is endemic to Central America, with its range extending from Western Panama, through Costa Rica and into Nicaragua. It is thought that there may also be small populations in the Sierra de Agalta, Honduras. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/D10_0722_zps351574d5.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/crThree-wattled-Bellbird-ca_zps09d9d4f0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Three-wattled-BellbirdZCOG_2014011_zps2ba2ed7c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/3-wattled-bellbird_zps10ac1756.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/digiscope016_zpse1f5c273.jpg Male and female: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bellbird_zps52125c4f.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/procnias_tricarunculatus_zps7bef568e.gif BELLBIRD CALLInteresting looking bird. Kinda looks like he's got a moustache.That's a nice shade of brown, though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 19 January 2015Monday Three-wattled Bellbird A highly unusual and distinctive bird, the male three-wattled bellbird is capable of producing the loudest bird call on earth, a thunderous bell-like sound which can be heard over a kilometre away. With its prominent wattles and unmistakable vocalisations, the male is the more easily distinguished of the two sexes. The head, neck and chest are white, while the rest of the body is a bright chestnut-rufous, and three long, fleshy, black-grey wattles hang from the corners of the mouth and the upper part of the beak. Studies have shown that the calling songs of males are strikingly different between the different Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua populations of the three-wattled bellbird, and it is the population in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica that produces the most familiar of the calls, a loud, characteristic ‘bock’ or ‘bong’. During the breeding season, males call continuously from exposed perches, typically a broken branch with few or no leaves, high up in the canopy of tall trees. When a visiting bellbird enters the territory of the male, landing on a ‘visiting perch’ (which is usually another broken branch beneath the canopy), the male will continue to call and display, sometimes exhibiting a ‘wattle-shaking’ behaviour, where the wattles are extended to full length and shaken violently from side to side. Breeding is thought to occur between March to late June or early July, in montane forest, although relatively little is known about the nesting period, or the remainder of the courtship ritual. The three-wattled bellbird feeds mainly on the fruits of the Lauraceae family (a group of flowering plants), often consuming more than 30 large fruits in a day. It has an extraordinarily wide gape, which is thought to be an adaptation to accommodate its fruit-eating lifestyle. The three-wattled bellbird is endemic to Central America, with its range extending from Western Panama, through Costa Rica and into Nicaragua. It is thought that there may also be small populations in the Sierra de Agalta, Honduras. http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/D10_0722_zps351574d5.jpg http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/crThree-wattled-Bellbird-ca_zps09d9d4f0.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/Three-wattled-BellbirdZCOG_2014011_zps2ba2ed7c.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/3-wattled-bellbird_zps10ac1756.jpghttp://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/digiscope016_zpse1f5c273.jpg Male and female: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/bellbird_zps52125c4f.png Range: http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/procnias_tricarunculatus_zps7bef568e.gif BELLBIRD CALL Pretty little bird. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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