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HomesickAlien

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Babycat

Babycat

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What in the name of hell's bells is that?! :o

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HomesickAlien
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16 March 2014 Sunday   The Titan Arum Amorphophallus titanum   http://i.imgur.com/sAtk90F.png http://i.imgur.com/q69WGSs.png http://i.imgur.com/nRM9UdN.png http://i.imgur.com/jRegam3.png

HomesickAlien
HomesickAlien

02 May 2015 Saturday     Madagascar Leaf-Nosed Snake   This bizarre-looking snake is an arboreal species endemic to Madagascar. As their name implies, leaf-nosed snakes have bizarre nasal appendage

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HomesickAlien

18 June 2014 Wednesday     Alligator Snapping Turtle       The prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. Wi

HomesickAlien

HomesickAlien

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

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Tombstone Mountain

Tombstone Mountain

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

 

 

Never disappoints. I found my first one this morning holmes. Black cap. They're always first

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Babycat

Babycat

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

 

Impressive species. :cool:

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Babycat

Babycat

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22 March 2015

Sunday

 

Giant Panda

 

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is universally admired for its appealing markings and seemingly gentle demeanour. A member of the bear family, the giant panda is a robust animal with heavy shoulders and a distinctive black and white coat. Most of the body and belly of the giant panda are white, contrasting sharply with the black ears, black limbs and shoulders, and black patches over the eyes. The male giant panda is slightly larger and heavier than the female. This species is also unusual in having a ‘thumb’, which is actually a modified wrist bone that enables the giant panda to dextrously grasp bamboo stalks.

 

Adult giant pandas are largely solitary and have well-defined home ranges, rarely meeting except in the mating season, which runs from March to May. During this time, the giant panda signals its presence by marking trees and banks with scent secreted from glands located beneath its tail. It will also claw bark, and males occasionally ‘dust bathe’, the dust particles becoming covered with the giant panda’s scent and wafting into the air.

 

The female giant panda usually gives birth to a single cub between July and September. The gestation period is highly variable, ranging from around 95 to 181 days, but this is due to a variable delay between fertilisation and implantation, and the true gestation length is closer to about 50 days. Although twins are sometimes born, the female rarely raises more than one of the cubs. The young giant panda is born at an extremely immature stage of development, weighing only a tiny fraction of the female’s weight.

 

The giant panda cub is helpless after birth, and for the first few weeks of its life the female cares for it in a den located in the base of a hollow tree or in a cave. After four to seven weeks, the young panda starts to travel with the female, but must be carried and can only move about independently at five to six months old. The young giant panda remains dependent on the female until it is at least 18 months old.

 

The giant panda is unusual in the extreme specialisation of its diet, which consists almost entirely of bamboo. As a member of the bear family, the giant panda has the digestive system of a carnivore and so is only able to digest a small proportion of its bamboo food. An adult giant panda therefore needs to spend most of its waking hours feeding and must consume between 10 and 18 kilograms of food daily in order to meet its energy requirements. It alternates periods of feeding and resting throughout the day and night.

 

The historic range of the giant panda encompassed much of eastern and southern China, reaching into northern Vietnam and Myanmar. Today, the giant panda is restricted to six separate mountain ranges in western China, on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, in the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan.

 

 

 

Information lifted from Arkive, not Wikipedia.

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous animal, and such a cute baby! :heart:

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Your_Lion

Your_Lion

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

Awesome looking creature. That first picture looks like it's going to bust out some Martial Arts moves

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Babycat

Babycat

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

Awesome looking creature. That first picture looks like it's going to bust out some Martial Arts moves

 

It certainly does! :P

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Tombstone Mountain

Tombstone Mountain

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

 

Awesome looking creature. That first picture looks like it's going to bust out some Martial Arts moves

 

It's probably an alien

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x1yyz

x1yyz

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

 

I'm generally not a fan of bugs, but that is a pretty darned spectacular insect.

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Babycat

Babycat

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B62V6rDCcAAySib.jpg

 

Sean...where are ya buddy? Tell me who I am

We miss you dude!

 

 

Good heavens! What's that little fella with the spiky bits called? :)

Kermit THE frog

 

:P

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HomesickAlien

HomesickAlien

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23 March 2015

Monday

 

 

 

Devil's Flower Mantis

 

The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest of all species of praying mantis. Of those that mimic flowers, it is the largest known. The Devil's Flower Mantis is the only species classified in the genus Idolomantis. The females can grow to approximately 5 in. (13 cm) in length. Males may reach a length of as much as 4 in. (10 cm). The Devil's Flower Mantis is native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

When confonted by a predator, the Devil's Flower Mantis will display its arms and bright colors. This is an attempt to dissuade the potential predator. Their front legs are raised to expose the conspicuous patterns depicted on the bottom of the thorax and abdomen. Likewise, the wings display a combination of vibrant colors. Observations of the Devil's Flower Mantis indicates the additional tactic of shifting their wings left to right to startle and confuse predators. When prey is near, the Devil's Flower Mantis impersonates a flower, and remains motionless. When the prey draws close, they strike with lightning speed. Their legs are capable of maintaining a strong grip on the prey. The Devil's Flower Mantis prefers airborne insects. Their diet consists principally of moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies.

 

As with other species of mantis, sexual cannibalism is prominent among the Devil's Flower Mantis. After mating, females deposit eggs in an ootheca. Typically, these will hold up to 50 nymphs. The incubation period varies according to temperature and humidity. On average, incubation lasts about fifty days. During the developmental period of this insect, the nymphs feed on small insects such as houseflies and fruit flies. The lifespan of the Devil's Flower Mantis will vary according to the habitat. The average lifespan is approximately twelve months.

 

 

Source: ourbreathingplanet

 

 

 

 

Awesome looking creature. That first picture looks like it's going to bust out some Martial Arts moves

 

It's probably an alien

 

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a587/Sean81A/tumblr_n8gbdimzIW1sgxjc6o3_400_zpsnqxunvnk.jpg

 

 

Edited by substancewithoutstyle
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HomesickAlien

HomesickAlien

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05 April 2015

Sunday

 

 

Turtle Ants

 

Members of the genus Cephalotes are often called "turtle" ants after the broad, flattened head shields of the soldier caste. The sole purpose of this strange adaptation is more or less that of a living cork, perfectly sealing off the entrance to the colony. Rather than constructing one of their own, these ants typically colonize the abandoned tunnels of wood-boring beetles, their plug-faces adapted to just the right size for just the right beetle burrows.

 

The ants live in trees in the forest areas of the new world tropics and the subtropics. Some Cephalotes species can even glide back to the tree if they are knocked from it. Most of them are what is known as polymorphic, which means that they have various castes that have a specific use and purpose in the colony.

 

 

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Babycat

Babycat

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05 April 2015

Sunday

 

 

Turtle Ants

 

Members of the genus Cephalotes are often called "turtle" ants after the broad, flattened head shields of the soldier caste. The sole purpose of this strange adaptation is more or less that of a living cork, perfectly sealing off the entrance to the colony. Rather than constructing one of their own, these ants typically colonize the abandoned tunnels of wood-boring beetles, their plug-faces adapted to just the right size for just the right beetle burrows.

 

The ants live in trees in the forest areas of the new world tropics and the subtropics. Some Cephalotes species can even glide back to the tree if they are knocked from it. Most of them are what is known as polymorphic, which means that they have various castes that have a specific use and purpose in the colony.

 

 

 

They're both unusual and fascinating. And look rather strong.

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HomesickAlien

HomesickAlien

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06 April 2015

Monday

 

 

Shape-shifting frog found, goes from smooth to spiky in minutes.

 

The marble-sized amphibian is the first vertebrate known to change its skin texture.

 

The frog can go from smooth (left) to spiky in minutes.

 

 

It might not be able to grow a thicker skin, but the newly discovered frog Pristimantis mutabilis and its relatives can change their skin's texture. In a new paper published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society this week, researchers announced the discovery of P. mutabilis and its strange texture-changing habit.

 

The tiny frog, no larger than a fingernail, blends into moss by making its skin prickly and rough, textured like its surroundings in the Andes mountains of Ecuador (The mechanism by which it does this is still unknown). When placed on a smooth background, like a white backdrop for photography, the frog straightens itself out, becoming glossy once again. The whole shape-shifting routine takes just about five minutes.

 

When researcher Katherine Krynak and her husband Tim spotted an unknown species of frog in a misty cloud forest in Ecuador, they scooped it into a cup for further examination the next morning. The frog was tiny (no more than 23 millimeters in length) and covered in thorn-like spines. However, when they tipped the animal out onto a sheet of plastic the next morning to be photographed, they saw that its skin was entirely smooth. They were disappointed, and assumed they'd picked up the wrong frog by mistake.

 

"I then put the frog back in the cup and added some moss," says Katherine, a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. "The spines came back... we simply couldn't believe our eyes, our frog changed skin texture! I put the frog back on the smooth white background and its skin became smooth."

 

The Krynaks had discovered what is believed to be the first known amphibian with the ability to change the texture of its skin. It takes just five minutes for its skin to change texture, and Katherine says the unusual ability probably helps the frog hide from birds and predators in Reserva Las Gralarias, the Ecaudorian nature reserve where the frog was found and where the Krynaks both volunteer.

 

"The spines and coloration help them blend into mossy habitats, making it hard for us to see them," said Katherine in a press release from Case Western University. "But whether the texture really helps them elude predators still needs to be tested." It's also not clear how exactly P. mutabilis changes its skin texture.

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Your_Lion

Your_Lion

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05 April 2015

Sunday

 

 

Turtle Ants

 

Members of the genus Cephalotes are often called "turtle" ants after the broad, flattened head shields of the soldier caste. The sole purpose of this strange adaptation is more or less that of a living cork, perfectly sealing off the entrance to the colony. Rather than constructing one of their own, these ants typically colonize the abandoned tunnels of wood-boring beetles, their plug-faces adapted to just the right size for just the right beetle burrows.

 

The ants live in trees in the forest areas of the new world tropics and the subtropics. Some Cephalotes species can even glide back to the tree if they are knocked from it. Most of them are what is known as polymorphic, which means that they have various castes that have a specific use and purpose in the colony.

 

 

Those flat heads look quite funny...like the kind of hats Whoopie Goldberg used to wear in Star Trek

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Your_Lion

Your_Lion

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06 April 2015

Monday

 

 

Shape-shifting frog found, goes from smooth to spiky in minutes.

 

The marble-sized amphibian is the first vertebrate known to change its skin texture.

 

The frog can go from smooth (left) to spiky in minutes.

 

 

It might not be able to grow a thicker skin, but the newly discovered frog Pristimantis mutabilis and its relatives can change their skin's texture. In a new paper published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society this week, researchers announced the discovery of P. mutabilis and its strange texture-changing habit.

 

The tiny frog, no larger than a fingernail, blends into moss by making its skin prickly and rough, textured like its surroundings in the Andes mountains of Ecuador (The mechanism by which it does this is still unknown). When placed on a smooth background, like a white backdrop for photography, the frog straightens itself out, becoming glossy once again. The whole shape-shifting routine takes just about five minutes.

 

When researcher Katherine Krynak and her husband Tim spotted an unknown species of frog in a misty cloud forest in Ecuador, they scooped it into a cup for further examination the next morning. The frog was tiny (no more than 23 millimeters in length) and covered in thorn-like spines. However, when they tipped the animal out onto a sheet of plastic the next morning to be photographed, they saw that its skin was entirely smooth. They were disappointed, and assumed they'd picked up the wrong frog by mistake.

 

"I then put the frog back in the cup and added some moss," says Katherine, a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. "The spines came back... we simply couldn't believe our eyes, our frog changed skin texture! I put the frog back on the smooth white background and its skin became smooth."

 

The Krynaks had discovered what is believed to be the first known amphibian with the ability to change the texture of its skin. It takes just five minutes for its skin to change texture, and Katherine says the unusual ability probably helps the frog hide from birds and predators in Reserva Las Gralarias, the Ecaudorian nature reserve where the frog was found and where the Krynaks both volunteer.

 

"The spines and coloration help them blend into mossy habitats, making it hard for us to see them," said Katherine in a press release from Case Western University. "But whether the texture really helps them elude predators still needs to be tested." It's also not clear how exactly P. mutabilis changes its skin texture.

What a cool little creature :cool:

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Tombstone Mountain

Tombstone Mountain

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19 March 2015

Thursday

 

 

 

Morels

 

The true morels (Morchella spp.) are among the edible fungi most prized by mushroom hunters. As with other mushrooms, the familiar morel is merely the spore-producing "fruiting body" of a macrofungus which exists mostly undergound. A variety of morel species fruit briefly and sporadically each spring across the northern hemisphere and information on when and where to find them is often closely guarded by collectors. Much lore exists (some of it surely well founded) about the microhabitats and weather conditions associated with the appearance of morels. Morels grow throughout the northern hemisphere in regions with temperate or boreal forests, as well as in some Mediterranean and subtropical regions such as coastal California, the highlands of Central America, and the Middle East. Morels also occur in the southern hemisphere and although many of these are believed to be introduced, there are apparently endemic species as well in, for example, Australia and southern South America. Morels are harvested from the wild commercially in several parts of the world, including the United States, Turkey, China, and the Indian subcontinent, although some progress has been made toward commercial cultivation.

 

The fruit bodies of the Morchella are highly polymorphic in appearance, exhibiting variations in shape, color and size; this has contributed to uncertainties regarding taxonomy. Discriminating between the various species is complicated by uncertainty regarding which species are truly biologically distinct. Some authors suggest that the genus only contains as few as 3 to 6 species, while others place up to 50 species in the genus. Mushroom hunters refer to them by their color (e.g., gray, yellow, black) as the species are very similar in appearance and vary considerably within species and age of individual. The best known morels are the "yellow morel" or "common morel" (M. esculenta); the "white morel" (M. deliciosa); and the "black morel" (M. elata). Other species of true morels include M. conica, M. vulgaris, and the half-free morel (M. semilibera).

 

Morchella species appear to have either symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships or act as saprotrophs. Yellow morels (Morchella esculenta) are more commonly found under deciduous trees rather than conifers, and black morels (Morchella elata) can be found in deciduous forests, oak and poplar. Deciduous trees commonly associated with morels in the northern hemisphere include ash, sycamore, tulip tree, dead and dying elms, cottonwoods and old apple trees (remnants of orchards). The fruiting of yellow morels in Missouri, USA, was found to correlate with warm weather, precipitation, and tree species, and most usually in the springtime. In the UK, they appear during May and June. Morels are rarely found in the vicinity of most common poisonous mushrooms such as the sulphur tuft and fly agaric (April–May time frame), but can occur alongside "false morels" (Gyromitra sp.) and "elfin saddles" (Verpa sp).

 

Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine, toxins that are removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild intoxication symptoms when consumed with alcohol. When eating this mushroom for the first time it is wise to consume a small amount to minimize any allergic reaction. Morels for consumption must be clean and free of decay. Morels growing in old apple orchards that had been treated with the insecticide lead arsenate may accumulate levels of toxic lead and arsenic that are unhealthy for human consumption.

 

 

 

 

 

Dude I'm drooling for when they get that big. Bad part is they don't taste as good as the young tender morels

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Babycat

Babycat

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Posted

06 April 2015

Monday

 

 

Shape-shifting frog found, goes from smooth to spiky in minutes.

 

The marble-sized amphibian is the first vertebrate known to change its skin texture.

 

The frog can go from smooth (left) to spiky in minutes.

 

 

It might not be able to grow a thicker skin, but the newly discovered frog Pristimantis mutabilis and its relatives can change their skin's texture. In a new paper published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society this week, researchers announced the discovery of P. mutabilis and its strange texture-changing habit.

 

The tiny frog, no larger than a fingernail, blends into moss by making its skin prickly and rough, textured like its surroundings in the Andes mountains of Ecuador (The mechanism by which it does this is still unknown). When placed on a smooth background, like a white backdrop for photography, the frog straightens itself out, becoming glossy once again. The whole shape-shifting routine takes just about five minutes.

 

When researcher Katherine Krynak and her husband Tim spotted an unknown species of frog in a misty cloud forest in Ecuador, they scooped it into a cup for further examination the next morning. The frog was tiny (no more than 23 millimeters in length) and covered in thorn-like spines. However, when they tipped the animal out onto a sheet of plastic the next morning to be photographed, they saw that its skin was entirely smooth. They were disappointed, and assumed they'd picked up the wrong frog by mistake.

 

"I then put the frog back in the cup and added some moss," says Katherine, a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. "The spines came back... we simply couldn't believe our eyes, our frog changed skin texture! I put the frog back on the smooth white background and its skin became smooth."

 

The Krynaks had discovered what is believed to be the first known amphibian with the ability to change the texture of its skin. It takes just five minutes for its skin to change texture, and Katherine says the unusual ability probably helps the frog hide from birds and predators in Reserva Las Gralarias, the Ecaudorian nature reserve where the frog was found and where the Krynaks both volunteer.

 

"The spines and coloration help them blend into mossy habitats, making it hard for us to see them," said Katherine in a press release from Case Western University. "But whether the texture really helps them elude predators still needs to be tested." It's also not clear how exactly P. mutabilis changes its skin texture.

 

Cripes! :o

That's amazing! :D

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HomesickAlien

HomesickAlien

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Posted

07 April 2015

Tuesday

 

 

Dragon's Blood Tree

 

Arguably the most famous and distinctive plant of the island of Socotra, off the coast of Yemen, the evocatively named dragon’s blood tree has a unique and bizarre appearance, its upturned, densely-packed crown having the shape of an upside-down umbrella. This evergreen species is named for its dark red resin, known as “dragon’s blood”, a substance which has been highly prized since ancient times. The dragon’s blood tree has been the major commercial source of this resin, and many myths surround the unusual trees.

 

Like other monocotyledons, such as palms, the dragon’s blood tree grows from the tip of the stem, with the long, stiff leaves borne in dense rosettes at the end. However, unlike many palms, the dragon’s blood tree branches at maturity to produce the characteristic umbrella-shaped crown, with the leaves, which measure up to 60 centimetres long and 3 centimetres wide, remaining crowded at the branch tips. The trunk and branches are thick and stout, and show ‘dichotomous’ branching, in which each branch repeatedly divides into two.

 

The dragon’s blood tree usually flowers in February. The flowers, which grow at the ends of the branches, consist of branched inflorescences bearing clusters of small, fragrant, white or greenish flowers. The fruit, which takes five months to fully develop, is a small, fleshy berry that changes from green to black as it ripens, finally becoming orange-red, and containing between one and three seeds. The berries may be eaten by birds or other animals, including domestic livestock, which then act as seed dispersers.

 

The bizarre shape of the dragon’s blood tree helps it to survive in often arid conditions and on mountaintops with little soil. Morning mists condense on the waxy, skyward-pointing leaves, the water then channelling down the trunk to the roots. The huge, densely packed crown also provides highly effective shade, so reducing the evaporation of any water drops that fall to the ground, and giving shade to the tree’s roots. In addition, this shading allows seedlings to survive better beneath the adult tree than in full sun, which could be why many dragon’s blood trees grow close together. Dragon’s blood trees are reported to be slow-growing and potentially long-lived.

 

 

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Babycat

Babycat

Posted
Posted

07 April 2015

Tuesday

 

 

Dragon's Blood Tree

 

Arguably the most famous and distinctive plant of the island of Socotra, off the coast of Yemen, the evocatively named dragon’s blood tree has a unique and bizarre appearance, its upturned, densely-packed crown having the shape of an upside-down umbrella. This evergreen species is named for its dark red resin, known as “dragon’s blood”, a substance which has been highly prized since ancient times. The dragon’s blood tree has been the major commercial source of this resin, and many myths surround the unusual trees.

 

Like other monocotyledons, such as palms, the dragon’s blood tree grows from the tip of the stem, with the long, stiff leaves borne in dense rosettes at the end. However, unlike many palms, the dragon’s blood tree branches at maturity to produce the characteristic umbrella-shaped crown, with the leaves, which measure up to 60 centimetres long and 3 centimetres wide, remaining crowded at the branch tips. The trunk and branches are thick and stout, and show ‘dichotomous’ branching, in which each branch repeatedly divides into two.

 

The dragon’s blood tree usually flowers in February. The flowers, which grow at the ends of the branches, consist of branched inflorescences bearing clusters of small, fragrant, white or greenish flowers. The fruit, which takes five months to fully develop, is a small, fleshy berry that changes from green to black as it ripens, finally becoming orange-red, and containing between one and three seeds. The berries may be eaten by birds or other animals, including domestic livestock, which then act as seed dispersers.

 

The bizarre shape of the dragon’s blood tree helps it to survive in often arid conditions and on mountaintops with little soil. Morning mists condense on the waxy, skyward-pointing leaves, the water then channelling down the trunk to the roots. The huge, densely packed crown also provides highly effective shade, so reducing the evaporation of any water drops that fall to the ground, and giving shade to the tree’s roots. In addition, this shading allows seedlings to survive better beneath the adult tree than in full sun, which could be why many dragon’s blood trees grow close together. Dragon’s blood trees are reported to be slow-growing and potentially long-lived.

 

 

 

Wow! That's one heck of a tree! :D

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